Solar Driven Chemistry

Abstract

Biomass, coal, mineral oil are the natural storage materials of solar energy; they are produced via the photochemistry of photosynthesis. In combination with atmospheric oxygen the conserved chemical energy can be released. At present more than 90 % of the world’s primary energy demand is provided by such solar chemical resources. – The thermodynamic basis of the production of «artificial» chemical fuels is examined by solar process heat driven thermochemistry, by solar photon flux driven photochemistry, and by electrochemical processes using electric energy from solar thermal power generation or from photovoltaics. «Solar fuels» such as hydrogen, «solar chemicals» such as cement, «solar specific reactions» such as detoxification are discussed in this tour d’horizon.