Nissan develops photon UC solids to help reduce fossil fuel dependency

MANILA: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., in partnership with the Tokyo Institute of Technology, has created photon upconversion (UC) solid materials with remarkable performance that can increase the efficiency of artificial photosynthesis.

Through artificial photosynthesis, water is divided into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen is then combined with CO₂ to create raw resin compounds such as olefins.

Nissan targets to be carbon neutral all throughout the life cycle of its products by 2050. This innovative technology will help the company achieve its goals by increasing the use of CO₂ as a raw material, reducing the need for fossil fuels in the production of resins and other products.

The new UC solids transform presently wasted long-wavelength light into short-wavelength light that can be employed in a range of artificial photosynthesis applications. Even under low sunlight irradiation, the conversion efficiency is considerable (up to around 30% of the theoretical limit of UC).

The new UC materials are solids that can function even in the presence of oxygen. When paired with photocatalysts, they improve the quantity of light energy accessible for artificial photosynthesis. Traditional UC materials were typically flammable organic solvent solutions that had low efficiency and light irradiation resistance even when solidified. This often required an oxygen-free atmosphere with high-intensity incident light.

More information about this technology can be found in the December 2021 issue of “Materials Horizons,” an academic journal by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Photos from Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

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