The purpose of the present invention is to provide a formic acid production method and a formic acid production system with high production efficiency and in low cost. It is a formic acid production method comprising: preparing a mixed solution by mixing a solution containing an organic substance with a metal oxide powder having a photocatalyst function; and producing a formic acid by irradiating a light to the mixed solution. Also, it is a formic acid production system comprising: a raw material charging unit into which a solution containing an organic substance and a metal oxide powder having a photocatalyst function are charged; an artificial photosynthesis reaction unit for reacting a mixed solution of the organic substance and the metal oxide powder by irradiating a sunlight or a light to the mixed solution; and a formic acid recovery unit for recovering a formic acid from the mixed solution after an artificial photosynthesis reaction.

A fluid flow conduit according to one embodiment comprises: a body comprising a channel-defining surface which defines a principal flow channel extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the body defines an interior flow region comprising the principal flow channel; an inlet for introducing fluid into the interior flow region, the inlet shaped so that an average velocity of fluid entering the interior flow region from the inlet is oriented in an inlet flow direction non-parallel to the longitudinal direction; and an outlet for conveying fluid out of the principal flow channel, the outlet spaced apart from the inlet in the longitudinal direction such that fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet passes through at least a portion of the principal flow channel; wherein the fluid flow conduit defines a recess in the interior flow region and facing the inlet.

The inventive concepts disclosed relate to the production of green and blue hydrogen from hydrocarbons using visible light (from a laser, lamp or sun) and defect-engineered boron-rich photocatalysts. We demonstrate that the environment of the B atoms in the lattice can be tuned to favor the dehydrogenation of desired hydrocarbons on reaction sites under visible light. In addition to the hydrogen produced in gas form, carbon atoms are captured by the catalyst and form structures of potential higher value for future applications. Further study of the dark carbonaceous product revealed a graphitic aspect of the material. These findings highlight a new functionality of 2D materials for visible light-assisted capture and conversion of hydrocarbons, with great potential for green hydrogen production—i.e, hydrogen produced from renewable energy and without the release of CO or CO.sub.2.

A plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation, which comprises at least one plasmonic provider and at least one catalytic property provider, wherein the plasmonic provider and the catalytic property provider are in contact with each other or have distance less than 200 nm, and molecular composition of the hydrocarbon molecules produced by light irradiation is temperature-dependent. And a method for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation utilizing the plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst.

Devices for photoelectrodes for water splitting based on indium nanowires on flexible substrates as well as methods of manufacture by transferring nanowire arrays to flexible substrates.

InGaN offers a route to high efficiency overall water splitting under one-step photo-excitation. Further, the chemical stability of metal-nitrides supports their use as an alternative photocatalyst. However, the efficiency of overall water splitting using InGaN and other visible light responsive photocatalysts has remained extremely low despite prior art work addressing optical absorption through band gap engineering. Within this prior art the detrimental effects of unbalanced charge carrier extraction/collection on the efficiency of the four electron-hole water splitting reaction have remained largely unaddressed. To address this growth processes are presented that allow for controlled adjustment and establishment of the appropriate Fermi level and/or band bending in order to allow the photochemical water splitting to proceed at high rate and high efficiency. Beneficially, establishing such material surface charge properties also reduces photo-corrosion and instability under harsh photocatalysis conditions.

The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a porous graphene layer across a precursor material layer on a substrate. The method comprises: determining a first temperature threshold and a second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold being a minimum temperature required for forming the porous graphene layer from a precursor material layer on a portion of the substrate, the second temperature threshold being one at which the substrate is likely to experience thermal damages above this temperature threshold; determining at least one of operating parameters of a light source, wherein exposing the precursor material layer to the light source that is operating under the at least one of the operating parameters causes a temperature of the portion of the substrate adjoining a side of the precursor material layer to maintain below the second temperature threshold and a temperature of the opposite side of the precursor material layer to rise above the first temperature threshold; and generating an a beam of light from the light source to the precursor material layer based on the at least one of operating parameters of the light source to form the porous graphene layer.

Provided is a novel method that makes it possible to easily sterilize spores and the like in a highly safe manner. A method for producing radicals according to the present invention includes a generation step of generating radicals through photoirradiation of a radical generation source, and the peak wavelength of light used in the photoirradiation is greater than UV wavelengths and 600 nm or less. Also, a method for sterilizing spores according to the present invention includes a treatment step of generating radicals through photoirradiation of a radical generation source and treating spores with the radicals, and the peak wavelength of light used in the photoirradiation is greater than UV wavelengths and 600 nm or less. The peak wavelength is, for example, 405 to 470 nm.

A photothermal catalytic method for production of hydrogen peroxide without a sacrificial reagent on the basis of a porphyrin-based supermolecule is provided. The method includes the following steps: uniformly mixing a porphyrin-based supermolecule photocatalyst with a concentration of 0.3-1.5 g/L with ultrapure water, conducting irradiation with a visible light for a period of time under stirring at a temperature of 40-80° C. and an O.sub.2 flow rate of 50-150 mL/min, and then filtering and concentrating a reaction liquid to obtain an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution with a high concentration. According to the new photothermal catalytic method for preparing the hydrogen peroxide provided in the present disclosure, no organic solvent (such as ethanol, isopropanol and benzyl alcohol) is used as a sacrificial reagent, and the method is environmentally friendly and free of pollution. O.sub.2 is used as an oxygen source, sunlight is used as an energy source, and the method is low in energy consumption and high in safety (compared with an industrial anthraquinone method for synthesizing hydrogen peroxide). The method is simple in operation, mild in reaction conditions and high in production of the hydrogen peroxide.

The invention provides a reactor assembly (1) comprising a reactor (30), wherein the reactor (30) is configured for hosting a fluid (100) to be treated with light source radiation (11) selected from one or more of UV radiation, visible radiation, and IR radiation, wherein the reactor (30) comprises a reactor wall (35) which is transmissive for the light source radiation (11), wherein: (i) the reactor (30) is a tubular reactor (130), and wherein the reactor wall (35) defines the tubular reactor (130); (ii) the tubular reactor (130) is configured in a tubular arrangement (1130); and (iii) the reactor assembly (1) further comprises a reactor support element (40), wherein (a) the reactor support element (40) encloses at least part of the tubular arrangement (1130) or wherein (b) the tubular arrangement (1130) encloses at least part of the reactor support element (40); wherein part of the tubular arrangement (1130) is configured in contact with the reactor support element (40), and wherein another part of the tubular arrangement (1130) and the reactor support element (40) define one or more fluid transport channels (7).