Converting Solar Energy into Hydrogen Fuel with Photosynthesis

Researchers from the Israel Institute of Technology are designing a photocatalyst capable of breaking down water into hydrogen fuel. The group reports record efficiency for solar-to-fuel conversion and intends to incorporate the mechanics of photosynthesis to push that efficiency further. “When we place our rod-shaped nanoparticles in water and shine light on them, they generate positive and negative electric charges,” said Lilac Amirav, principal investigator on the project. “The water molecules break: The negative charges produce hydrogen (reduction), and the positive charges produce oxygen (oxidation). The two reactions, involving the positive and negative charges, must take place simultaneously. Without taking...