Researchers have developed a prototype device that directly converts sun rays into fuels that can be stored. The device uses a quartz window and cavity to focus sunlight into a cylinder lined with ceria. Ceria is hygroscopic and absorbs carbon dioxide. As the sunlight heats the ceria, it thermochemically breaks down the water and carbon dioxide pumped into the cylinder to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen that can be converted to a liquid fuel. The device was developed by researchers from the California Institute of Technology and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. They believe the technology could be applied in large-scale applications, because cerium is the most abundant rare-earth element. For more information, the report has been published in the journal Science. Please visit: www.sciencemag.org/content/330/6012/1797.short
