Transport phenomena across soap-film based membranes for fuel generation

The growing global energy demand with the increasingly stronger environmental impact deriving from the use of fossil fuels has determined for many countries a greater interest in the inclusion of renewable resources in the energy market. Currently, almost the 80% of the global energy supply derives from fossil fuels, therefore the possibility of producing high energy density molecules, such as hydrogen and carbon-based fuel, from conversion processes that exploit renewable resources, such as artificial photosynthesis, could represent an excellent solution. SoFiA - Soap Film based Artificial Photosynthesis, just funded by the European Union under the prestigious H2O2O - FETOPEN program, aims at the realization of soap-based membranes capable of converting carbon dioxide into fuel in a robust way and for long periods of time. The thesis presents a first investigation about the phenomenon of diffusion of gaseous species through soap film, focusing on the time scale and how the properties of the film influence the process. Subsequently, the study and design of a microfluidic circuit for the supply of a constant water flow rate necessary to guarantee the stability of the film is presented.