Solar energy implications

The understanding of the electronic properties of nanostructures is one of the most rapidly advancing areas in science. This has two major implications first, it will lead to the construction of nanocircuitiy and nanocomputers that will use considerably less power than current computers while being faster and smaller and second, it will lead to increasing efficiency and decreasing cost of photovoltaic power conversion ( solar energy ). 

Carotenoids are highly lipophilic an active area of research concerns how carotenoids interact with and affect membrane systems (see Chapters 2 and 10). Also, the lipid solubility of these compounds has important implications for carotenoid intestinal absorption (see Chapter 17) models such as the Caco-2 cell model are being used to conduct detailed studies of carotenoid absorption/ competition for absorption (Chapter 18). The lipid solubility of these carotenoids also leads to the aggregation of carotenoids (see Chapter 3). Carotenoids aggregate both in natural and artificial systems, with implications for carotenoid excited states (see Chapter 8). This has implications for a new indication for carotenoids, namely, serving as potential materials for harnessing solar energy. 

Klimov, V. I. 2006. Mechanisms for photogeneration and recombination of mul-tiexcitons in semiconductor nanocrystals Implications for lasing and solar energy conversion./. Phys. Chem. B 110 16827-16845. 

Rajshwar K, Marz T (1983) The n-GaAs electrolyte interface evidence for specificity in lattice-ion electrolyte interactions, dependence for potential drops on ciystal plane orientation to the electrolyte and implications for solar energy conversion. J Phys Chem 87 742-744... 

Application studies directed toward devices, solar energy, and biological implications. 

Production of H2 fuel from water by solar energy may involve H2 complexes of transition metals, at least as intermediates, and H2 complexes have been implicated in solar energy conversion schemes based on photoreduction of water. Industrially important water gas shift and related H2-producing reactions undoubtedly proceed via transient H2 complexes [116,123],... 

M. Pfeiffer, A. Beyer, B. Plonnigs, A. Nollau, T. Fritz, K. Leo, D. Schlettwein, S. Hiller, D. Wohrle, Controlled p-doping of pigment layers by Cosublimation Basic mechanisms and implications for their use in organic photovoltaic cells, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 63 (2000) 83-99. 

Most of the predictions were confirmed experimentally (apart from some anomalous cases), but one prediction, the inverted effect , (the decrease of rate constant with increasingly favorable (increasingly negative) AG°, when AG° is very large) was counterintuitive, but clearly evident in equation (1.4) and took 25 years before it was confirmed [26]. This story has been told many times and so I will not describe it here. However, the inverted effect is believed to have implications for efficiency of solar energy conversion in photosynthetic systems, as discussed elsewhere. Also, the ET theory had spin-offs for ion, atom and group transfer reactions considered in the next section. 

R. Schaller, V. Klimov, High efficiency carrier multiplication in PbSe nanocrystals Implications for solar energy conversion, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 (2004) 186601. 

Larkum AWD (2012) Harvesting solar energy through natural or artificial photosynthesis scientific, social, political and economic implications. In ref. [2], pp 1-19... 

Schaller RD, Klimov VI (2004) High Efficiency Carrier Multiplication in PbSe Nanocrystals Implications for Solar Energy Conversion. Phys Rev Lett 92 186601... 

GRl 13a] Griffini G., Brambilla L., Levi M. et al, Photo-degradation of a peiylene-based organic luminescent solar concentrator molecular aspects and device implications . Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. Ill, pp. 41-48, 2013. 

In this chapter, we will start by briefly presenting an historical overview of PCET research, acknowledging the different meanings and mechanistic implications enclosed in the definition and establish the basic principles underlying this type of reactions. Experimental evidence and the importance of PCET in the catalysis of water oxidation in natural photosynthesis is explored, followed by a discussion of how those functional principles may be transposed to synthetic systems, both for fundamental studies and for practical applications in the context of solar energy conversion and solar fuel production. 

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