Titanium dioxide (TiO2) forms the basis of devices for applications including sensing devices, solar cells, photo-electrochromics, and photocatalysis. Such devices exploit different phases of TiO2 within such devices and accordingly it would be beneficial to have an amorphous TiO2 precursor which allows crystalline phase spatial patterning, for the crystallization of the amorphous TiO2 precursor to be triggered at low energies, and with the crystalline phase controllable at room-temperature without necessitating complex handling whilst providing TiO2 phases that ate stable over a prolonged period of time. Accordingly, there ate provided processes for providing a TiO2 precursor and controlling the conversion of the TiO2 precursor from amorphous-to-anatase, amorphous-to-rutile, amorphous-to-mixture of anatase/rutile or from amorphous-to-anatase-to-rutile in a simple and efficient manner.

Nature is capable of storing solar energy in chemical bonds via photosynthesis through a series of C—C, C—O and C—N bond-forming reactions starting from CO.sub.2 and light. Direct capture of solar energy for organic synthesis is a promising approach. Lead (Pb)-halide perovskite solar cells reach 24.2% power conversion efficiency, rendering perovskite a unique type material for solar energy capture. We show that photophysical properties of perovskites is useful in photoredox organic synthesis. Because the key aspects of these two applications are both relying on charge separation and transfer. Here we demonstrated that perovskites nanocrystals are exceptional candidates as photocatalysts for fundamental organic reactions, i.e. C—C, C—N and C—O bond-formations. Stability of CsPbBr.sub.3 in organic solvents and ease-of-tuning their bandedges garner perovskite a wider scope of organic substrate activations.

The present invention generally relates to artificial photosystems and methods of their use, for example in artificial photosynthesis, wherein the artificial photosystems comprise one or more light-harvesting antenna (LHA) comprising a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) complex (CPEC) comprising a donor CPE and an acceptor CPE, wherein the donor CPE and acceptor CPE are an electronic energy transfer (EET) donor/acceptor pair.

A flow reactor has a fluidic module with a first major outer surface. The module contains a fluid passage and has a transmittance through the first major outer surface to the fluid passage of at least 20% over a range of wavelengths. The reactor has an illumination module comprising one or more radiation sources, which can emit within the range, positioned within an enclosure. The enclosure has a back wall and a side wall and an opening opposite the back wall. An edge of the side wall surrounds the opening. The illumination module is positioned such that the opening of the illumination module faces the first major outer surface of the fluidic module. The side wall comprises a telescoping portion such that a distance from the back wall of the enclosure to the edge of the side wall is adjustable.

A method for producing plasmonic nanomaterials that are catalytically or photocatalytically active by fabricating plasmonic nanostructures on substrates using electrodeposition into a nano-template structure and forming a plurality of nanorods in an array, wherein the nanorods are made from materials chosen from the group consisting of materials that are plasmonic and/or catalytic, and materials that are catalytically activated by depositing pure elemental metals, alloys, or alternating layers of different metals or alloys, and producing catalytic plasmonic nanomaterials. Catalytic plasmonic nanomaterials made from the above method. An optical reactor device that utilizes catalytic nanomaterials for photocatalytic synthesis of methanol or ammonia. A method of photocatalytic synthesis of methanol and ammonia by using catalytic plasmonic nanomaterial to convert CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 to methanol and N.sub.2 and H.sub.2 to ammonia using optical power. A hybrid plasma-plasmonic reactor for the utilization of CO.sub.2 and CH.sub.4 to produce methanol, ethylene, and acetic acid.

Reactors are provided that can include a first set of fluid channels and a second set of fluid channels oriented in thermal contact with the first set of fluid channels where the channels of either one or both of the first of the set of fluid channels are non-linear. Reactor assemblies are also provided that can include a first set of fluid channels defining at least one non-linear channel having a positive function, and a second set of fluid channels defining at least another non-linear channel having a negative function in relation to the positive function of the one non-linear channel of the first set of fluid channels.

Disclosed herein is a method for converting light energy into mechanical energy and/or oxygen storage, purification, isolation, concentration, and/or removed. The method may comprise exposing a mixture of a polycyclic aromatic compound and a photosensitizer to oxygen and light to form an endoperoxide, and decomposing the endoperoxide to reform the polycyclic aromatic compound and oxygen. The polycyclic aromatic compound may be a naphthalene compound or anthracene compound and/or may have a formula

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The photoreactor system includes a chamber, a lid, a catalyst coating, and an oxygen supply port. The photoreactor system is configured to process a sample by breaking down organic molecules, such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The catalyst coating is coupled to an interior surface of the chamber. The photoreactor system includes a mixing blade to agitate the sample. The chamber also includes a baffle substantially covered with the catalyst coating to enhance the turbulent flow of the sample and provide more catalyst coated surface area within the chamber.

A catalytic solar reactor useful in chemical processes, more particularly, useful in endothermic chemical processes. The reactor comprises a reaction pathway defined by an exterior wall and an interior wall, the exterior wall comprising a solar radiation receiver capable of converting solar radiation into heat and transmitting the heat to the reaction pathway. Further, the reaction pathway has disposed therein, in alternating fashion, a plurality of catalytic elements and a plurality of heat transfer elements. Optionally, a supplementary heater, such as a conventional fossil fuel burner, is disposed in a plenum located within the interior of the reactor. The heater is employed as a supplemental source of heat, for example, when solar radiation is unavailable.

A method for patterning flow cell substrates using photo-initiated chemical reactions that includes fabricating a planar waveguide flow cell by forming a layer of light coupling gratings on a glass substrate layer; depositing a core layer on the layer of light coupling gratings; depositing a cladding layer on the core layer; and forming nanowells in the cladding layer; silanizing the cladding layer; coating the silanized cladding layer and nanowells with a first group of reactants; introducing a second group of reactants into the nanowells, wherein the second group of reactants includes a target reactant and a light-sensitive photoinitiator system; coupling a light source to the light coupling gratings and directing light internally within the planar waveguide flow cell for photo-initiating a chemical reaction between the first and second groups of reactants, wherein the photo-initiated chemical reaction covalently binds the target reactant to only the bottom portion of each nanowell.