考研英语阅读篇章: 太阳能电池板可将二氧化碳转化为甲酸

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      考研英语阅读篇章：太阳能电池板可将二氧化碳转化为甲酸
    Research to curb global warming caused by rising levels of atmospheric
greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, usually involves three areas:
Developing alternative energy sources, capturing and storing greenhouse gases,
and repurposing(再利用) excess greenhouse gases. Drawing on two of these
approaches, researchers in the laboratory of Andrew Bocarsly, a Princeton
professor of chemistry, collaborated with start-up company Liquid Light Inc. of
Monmouth Junction, N.J. to devise an efficient method for harnessing sunlight to
convert carbon dioxide into a potential alternative fuel known as formic
acid(甲酸，蚁酸). The study was published June 13 in the Journal of CO2 Utilization.
The transformation from carbon dioxide and water to formic acid was powered by a
commercial solar panel generously provided by the energy company PSE&G that
can be found atop electric poles across the state. The process takes place
inside an electrochemical cell, which consists of metal plates the size of
rectangular(矩形的) lunch-boxes that enclose liquid-carrying channels.
    To maximize the efficiency of the system, the amount of power produced by
the solar panel must match the amount of power the electrochemical cell can
handle, said Bocarsly. This optimization process is called impedance
matching(阻抗匹配). By stacking three electrochemical cells together, the research
team was able to reach almost 2 percent energy efficiency, which is twice the
efficiency of natural photosynthesis. It is also the best energy efficiency
reported to date using a human-made device.
    A number of energy companies are interested in storing solar energy as
formic acid in fuel cells. Additionally, formate(甲酸盐) salt -- readily made from
formic acid -- is the preferred de-icing agent on airplane runways because it is
less corrosive to planes and safer for the environment than chloride salts. With
increased availability, formate salts could supplant(代替) more harmful salts in
widespread use.
    Using waste carbon dioxide and easily obtained machined parts, this
approach offers a promising route to a renewable fuel, Bocarsly said.
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