How to Make Fuel from Solar Energy

Dr. Frank Osterloh presents new ways to use the sun to power our planet sustainably. Dramatic improvements in the quality of life became possible when humans learned how to extract energy from fossil fuels and use it to produce food and goods for consumption. Now, as the world population is predicted to grow past 10 billion in 2060, and the detrimental effects of fossil fuel usage on the environment can no longer be ignored, a shift to renewable energy sources becomes essential for the survival of the human species. Solar and wind energy have the potential to meet all human energy demands but the question remains how to effectively harvest these energies and how to turn them into non-polluting fuels that can be stored and transported. This talk will describe how the water splitting reaction is essential to such endeavors and how advanced artificial photosynthesis systems can convert sunlight and water directly into hydrogen fuel, without the use of photovoltaics or batteries. The unique scientific and materials challenges will be presented with a special emphasis of current research at the Osterloh lab at UC Davis. Dr. Frank Osterloh is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, where he leads an experimental research program on inorganic materials for solar energy conversion. His work on developing semiconductor materials that convert sunlight into chemical fuels is supported by the US Department of Energy. Dr. Osterloh has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications in inorganic and materials chemistry, and, since 2016 serves as Associate Editor to the Journal Materials Chemistry A, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Society for Chemistry. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Presentation begins at 6:00 p.m. at the UC Davis Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences building located on the UNR Lake Tahoe Campus in Incline Village. No-host bar and light snacks will be available. Tickets are $10 when purchased in advance, $15 at the door, and free for students with a student ID. For more information call 775-881-7560, or visit http://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/events/.