Researchers Convert Biomass To Hydrogen Using Sunlight (rdmag.com)

New submitter omaha393 writes: Cambridge chemists have developed a new catalytic approach capable of converting biomass into hydrogen gas using only sunlight as an energy source. The method converts lignocellulose, one of Earth's most abundant biomaterials, into hydrogen gas and organic byproducts when in a basic water and in the presence of the cadmium sulfide/oxide nanoparticle catalysts. The new method, published in Nature Energy, offers a relatively cheap fuel alternative that researchers are looking to scale up to meet consumer demands at the industrial level. Per R&D Magazine: "'With this in place we can simply add organic matter to the system and then, provided it's a sunny day, produce hydrogen fuel,' says joint lead author David Wakerley. 'Future development can be envisioned at any scale.'" In addition to lignocellulose, the team was also able to produce hydrogen gas using unprocessed material including wood, paper and leaves. Further reading: New Atlas; ScienceDaily

Comments

Re:This is going to take some work

[dbIII]

You eat margarine don't you?
From that example you should know that toxic catalysts don't always end up in the end product - especially since here the end product is a gas.

Re:Hmm.. (worst fuel out there)

[Hognoxious]

You can stop most of that shit by attaching it to carbon. I know, crazy talk...