Artificial Leaf Renewable Energy
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a source of renewable energy, they call Artificial Leaf.
Made in laboratories using a combination of silicon, cobalt and nickel, Leaf is as thin as a sheet of paper and acts as a solar cell. It absorbs energy from the sun and when inserted into the water, divide the liquid into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen gases like how photosynthesis does in real systems.This could pave the way for a renewable source of hydrogen gas, which can then be used for hydrogen fuel cells. It's big deal because hydrogen gas in its natural form is not easily available on Earth.
Current methods of making hydrogen is expensive and consumes much power as it requires a chemical process to break down water or various kinds of hydrocarbons like ethanol to get it.
This means With further refinement, the device pave the way for sustainable and renewable hydrogen fuel cells powered by nothing but water and sunlight. MIT professor Daniel Nocera believes that with a single liter of water, the Leaf produce enough electricity to power a house for a whole day.
Artificial Leaf Renewable Energy
