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US 5,022,970 AGranted
Photoelectrochemical reduction of carbon oxides
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorsRonald L. Cook, Anthony F. Sammells
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for photoelectrochemical reduction of CO.sub.2 and/or CO to gaseous hydrocarbons, predominately methane, in a liquid aqueous containing electrolyte dispersion of semiconductors in the presence of copper which may be deposited on the semiconductor surface or dispersed in the electrolyte and transiently in contact with the semiconductor surface.
Claims15
A process for photoelectrochemical reduction of at least one of CO.sub.2 and CO to hydrocarbon products, said process comprising:
- dispersing particulate semiconductors in a liquid aqueous containing electrolyte;
- illuminating said semiconductors at appropriate frequency and quantity causing excitation of electrons from the valence band to the conductance band of said semiconductors;
- contacting surface portions of said semiconductors with metallic copper, non-semiconductor contacting surface portions of said copper contacting said liquid aqueous containing electrolyte;
- contacting said surface portions of said copper contacting said liquid aqueous containing electrolyte with at least one of said CO.sub.2 and CO causing its reduction to said hydrocarbon products by energy passage between said semiconductor and said copper.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.