Abstract: A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing focused polarized sunlight energy is disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited and oriented on a substrate to form an oriented photoactive material. The oriented photoactive material may be employed in the system to harvest sunlight and produce energy necessary for water splitting. The system may also include a light polarization system and elements necessary to collect, transfer, and store hydrogen and oxygen, for subsequent transformation into electrical energy.

Abstract: A photosynthetic system for splitting water to produce hydrogen and using the produced hydrogen for the reduction of carbon dioxide into methane is disclosed. The disclosed photosynthetic system employs photoactive materials that include photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals within their composition, in order to harvest sunlight and obtain the energy necessary for water splitting and subsequent carbon dioxide reduction processes. The photosynthetic system may also include elements necessary to transfer water produced in the carbon dioxide reduction process, for subsequent use in water splitting process. The systems may also include elements necessary to store oxygen and collect and transfer methane, for subsequent transformation of methane into energy.

Abstract: A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing sunlight energy are disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material. The photoactive material may be employed in the system to harvest sunlight and produce energy necessary for water splitting. The system may also include elements necessary to collect, transfer and store hydrogen and oxygen, for subsequent transformation into electrical energy.

Abstract: A method and composition for making photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals include semiconductor nanocrystals and inorganic capping agents as photocatalysts. The photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material that may be used in a plurality of photocatalytic energy conversion applications such as water splitting. By combining different semiconductor materials for photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals employed and by changing the semiconductor nanocrystals shapes and sizes, band gaps can be tuned to expand the range of wavelengths of sunlight usable by the photoactive material.

Abstract: A system and method employing sunlight energy for the reduction of carbon dioxide into methane and water are disclosed. Methane gas may then be stored for later use as fuel. The system and method may use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material. The photoactive material may be employed in the system to harvest sunlight and produce energy necessary for carbon dioxide reduction. The system may also include elements necessary to collect and transfer methane, for subsequent transformation into electrical energy.