System for Harvesting Oriented Light - Water Splitting

Abstract

A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing focused polarized sunlight energy is disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited and oriented on a substrate to form an oriented photoactive material. The oriented photoactive material may be employed in the system to harvest sunlight and produce energy necessary for water splitting. The system may also include a light polarization system and elements necessary to collect, transfer, and store hydrogen and oxygen, for subsequent transformation into electrical energy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A light polarization system comprising:
 a tracking mirror configured to collect and polarize sunlight;   a sun tracking system connected to the tracking mirror and configured to move the tracking mirror such that the tracking mirror collects sunlight at Brewster's angle based on the movement of the sun;   a first steering mirror configured to reflect polarized sunlight received from the tracking mirror, wherein the first steering mirror is capable of changing its relative position based on the direction that the tracking mirror is reflecting the sunlight;   a second steering mirror configured to reflect directed sunlight received from the first steering mirror, wherein the second steering mirror is capable of changing its relative position based on the direction that the first steering mirror is reflecting the sunlight; and   an oriented photocatalytic material configured to receive sunlight directed by the second steering and initiate a water splitting reaction, wherein the oriented photocatalytic material receives sunlight at an optimal angle by the movement of the tracking mirror, the first steering mirror, and the second steering mirror.   
     
     
         2 . The light polarization system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second steering mirrors are focusing mirrors. 
     
     
         3 . The light polarization system of  claim 1 , wherein the oriented photoactive material includes photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals. 
     
     
         4 . The light polarization system of  claim 3 , wherein each photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystal includes a first semiconductor nanocrystal capped with a first inorganic capping agent and a second semiconductor nanocrystal capped with a second inorganic capping agent.