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MIT's 'Artificial Leaf' Makes Fuel From Sunlight

Posted by Soulskill on from the do-you-think-energy-just-falls-off-trees dept.

New submitter nfn writes "MIT has published a new paper (abstract), along with a video of a working prototype, of what they're describing as an 'Artificial Leaf' that separates water into oxygen and hydrogen using cheap, non-exotic materials. 'The artificial leaf — a silicon solar cell with different catalytic materials bonded onto its two sides — needs no external wires or control circuits to operate. Simply placed in a container of water and exposed to sunlight, it quickly begins to generate streams of bubbles: oxygen bubbles from one side and hydrogen bubbles from the other. If placed in a container that has a barrier to separate the two sides, the two streams of bubbles can be collected and stored, and used later to deliver power: for example, by feeding them into a fuel cell that combines them once again into water while delivering an electric current.' No word on the arrival of 'Artificial Salads,' or when any of their other alchemy projects will bear artificial fruit."

4 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Losing Hydrogen by jameskojiro · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think all this hydrogen tech is very dangerous, we will start burning hydrogen and more of it will leak and escape from the earth since it is so light and before too long we will run out of water. Oh we will have plenty of oxygen, but the oceans will dry up and all life will die except the giant sandworms... At least we will have spice.

    --
    Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
    1. Re:Losing Hydrogen by istartedi · · Score: 3, Funny

      OMG! You're right. It'll react and form hydrogon peroxide. This will mix with rain water and get in people's hair. We'll turn blonde, which means we'll start making stupid dec.... Oh no. It's too late, it's started already. RUN!!!

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
  2. Oh boy by JustAnotherIdiot · · Score: 2, Funny

    The energy crisis is solved for the 6th or 7th time this year.

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    What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
  3. Re:Duplicate (from the 19th century) by GrumpySteen · · Score: 3, Funny

    > Seems to me like saying a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is a new discovery because they mixed chocolate with peanut butter.

    That's fucking incredible!! When did they do that?!?! Why wasn't I told????