The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2017
Filed:
Nov. 14, 2012
Hypersolar, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Eric McFarland, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Tim Young, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Nirala Singh, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Syed Mubeen Jawahar Hussaini, Iowa City, IA (US);
HYPERSOLAR, INC., Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Abstract
A two-step process, consisting of a photoelectrosynthetic process combined with a thermochemical process, is configured to produce a reduction product (e.g., methane gas, methanol, or carbon monoxide) from carbon dioxide and liquid waste streams. In a first step, photoelectrosynthetically active heterostructures (PAHs) and sunlight are used to drive oxidation/reduction reactions in which one primary product is hydrogen gas. In the second step, hydrogen generated in the first step is thermally catalytically reacted with carbon dioxide to form a reduction product from carbon dioxide (e.g., CO, formaldehyde, methane, or methanol). Synthesis gas (CO and H) can be further reacted to form alkanes. The methods and systems may employ PAHs known in the art or improved PAHs having lower costs, improved stability, solar energy conversion efficiency, and/or other desired attributes as disclosed herein.