Credit: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c05834

Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in collaboration with Stanford University, Antwerp University and Hasselt University, have achieved an advance in the development of sustainable materials for the production of solar fuels. The research was conducted by Dr. Beatriz de la Fuente within the SUME (Sustainable Materials Engineering) group, and the team of professors Tom Hauffman and Annick Hubin. The team has demonstrated that inexpensive, non-toxic and earth-abundant materials can be used to turn sunlight and CO₂ into sustainable fuels.

The research is published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

The study shows how certain materials, known as semiconductors, can be made more efficient in systems that directly convert solar energy into chemical energy. By better understanding and improving these materials, the team succeeded in making them both more durable and more powerful. They discovered how the energy within the materials interacts with the electrodes, how charges move across the system, and what factors affect long-term stability. The researchers also found that adding special catalysts further boosts performance and extends the lifetime of the systems.

This progress brings us closer to a future where CO₂—today one of the biggest drivers of climate change—can be reused as a raw material for fuel production. In the short term, the research delivers new knowledge that will support the development of clean, affordable energy technologies. In the long term, these systems could evolve into decentralized units that produce solar fuels, contributing to energy independence, green innovation, and achieving climate targets.

"Our findings show that it is possible to build solar fuel systems with abundant, environmentally friendly materials that are both efficient and sustainable," says de la Fuente. "This is a crucial step in turning CO₂ from a problem into a valuable resource."

More information: Beatriz de la Fuente et al, Probing the Electronic Band Structure of Emerging Chalcogenide Absorbers for Photoelectrochemistry, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c05834

Citation: Paving the way for solar fuels from CO₂ (2025, December 8) retrieved 8 December 2025 from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-paving-solar-fuels.html

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