Atomic layer deposited thin film metal oxides for fuel production in a solar cavity reactor

Alumina thin film structures were produced by coating high surface area polymer particles via atomic layer deposition (ALD), using the polymer as a sacrificial template. Burnout of the polymer material left high surface area, high pore volume structures, with 15 nm wall thickness. Further deposition of up to 27 mol% Co and Fe was performed via ALD to produce high surface area CoFe2O4 particles for thermochemical water splitting. The ALD particles were thermally cycled in electrically heated lab reactors and on-sun using a concentrated solar, reflective cavity reactor. Surface area measurements of cycled ALD particles showed improved surface area retention as compared to bulk Fe2O3 nanopowders. Reaction rates as high as 15.2 and 9.8 μmol/s/g were observed, on-sun, for H2O and CO2 splitting respectively. Thermochemical cycling in a concentrated solar cavity reactor showed an order of magnitude increase in solar utilization efficiency between ALD particles and bulk Fe2O3 nanopowders.