The present disclosure provides methods of activating an enzyme, such as error prone or template independent polymerase, using electricity to alter pH of a reaction zone and reaction site from an inactivating pH at which the enzyme is inactive to an activating pH at which the enzyme is active to add a nucleotide to an initiator or growing polymer chain. The activating pH can then be changed back to an inactivating pH and the process repeated as many times as desired to produce a target nucleic acid sequence.

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to a solar fuel generator. In one aspect, a device includes a photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell having a first surface and a second surface, a mesh disposed on the first surface of the photovoltaic cell, and a polymer disposed on the mesh and on the first surface of the photovoltaic cell. The mesh has a catalyst disposed thereon. The polymer covers the first surface of the photovoltaic cell, with at least a portion of the mesh not being covered with the polymer.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an amalgam electrode, an amalgam electrode manufactured by the method, and a method for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide using the amalgam electrode.

Methods and systems for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to organic products including formate and formic acid are provided. A method may include, but is not limited to, steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may introduce an acidic anolyte to a first compartment of an electrochemical cell. The first compartment may include an anode. Step (B) may introduce a bicarbonate-based catholyte saturated with carbon dioxide to a second compartment of the electrochemical cell. The second compartment may include a high surface area cathode including indium and having a void volume of between about 30% to 98%. At least a portion of the bicarbonate-based catholyte is recycled. Step (C) may apply an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode sufficient to reduce the carbon dioxide to at least one of a single-carbon based product or a multi-carbon based product.

A catalyst comprising: a titanium oxide having an anatase-type crystal structure, and having the vertices and the ridge lines, wherein in a single titanium oxide particle, a vertex density per unit surface area is 8.010.sup.4 nm.sup.2 or more, and a ridge line density per unit surface area is 5.010.sup.2 nm or more, or a ridge line density per unit volume is 8.010.sup.3 nm.sup.2 or more. A complex comprising: a material having a porous structure; and said catalyst. A membrane electrode assembly comprising: an anode; cathode; and an electrolyte membrane, wherein the cathode carries said catalyst on at least a surface of the cathode.

The nanocomposites that include CuO/Cu.sub.2O are described. The nanocomposites can utilized as a photocatalyst and can be incorporated into photoelectrochemical devices. The described devices, systems, and methods can be used for converting CO.sub.2 into one or more alcohols with the use of solar energy and electricity.

An electrocatalyst comprising (i) carbon nanospikes and (ii) copper-containing nanoparticles residing on and/or embedded between said carbon nanospikes. The carbon nanospikes are doped with a dopant selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, boron, and phosphorous. Also disclosed herein is a method of producing the eletrocatalyst and a method for converting carbon dioxide into ethanol by use of the above-described electrocatalyst.

An electrochemical device and method can include techniques involving bipolar membrane electrolysis to transform an input product into an output product. Some embodiments can include a gas-diffusion electrode as a cathode, a bipolar membrane configured to facilitate autodissociation, and an anode that can be configured as a liquid-electrolyte style electrode or a gas-diffusion electrode. In some embodiments the electrochemical device can be configured as a CO.sub.2 electrolyzer that is designed to utilize input product including carbon dioxide gas and water to generate output products that can include gaseous carbon monoxide or other reduction products of carbon dioxide and gaseous oxygen or the oxidation products of a depolarizer such as hydrogen, methane, or methanol. Embodiments can be utilized in the production of fuels or feedstocks for fuels and carbon-containing chemicals, in air purification systems, flue gas treatment devices, and other machines and facilities.

An electro catalytic CO.sub.2 reduction method including forming a gas diffusion cathode including a porous layer and gas diffusion layer. The method includes electrocatalyzing the gas diffusion cathode by electrochemically depositing a CO.sub.2 reduction catalyst using a pulse current or pulse reverse current passed between the gas diffusion cathode and a counter electrode in a bath containing ions of the catalyst to balance nucleation/growth of the catalyst particles resulting in a more uniform deposition of catalyst particles of predominantly less than 20 nm. The electro catalyzed gas diffusion cathode is utilized in an electrochemical reactor along with an anode and voltage source connected to the cathode and anode to convert CO.sub.2 to another chemical (e.g., formic acid).

A system and process are disclosed for electrochemically upgrading bio-oils and bio-crudes that enhance yields of selected reduction products for subsequent production of bio-based fuels.