Artificial leaf' makes real fuel

Artificial Leaf Makes Real Fuel ? What? Is it Possible? Yes!  "if nature Can do , So we Can".

A Research Team From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) led by Dr. Daniel Nocera, Ph.D., claims to have made a Notable discovery in the world of sustainable energy by developing the first “practical” artificial leaf Which May Show A Solution to Increasing Energy needs.

These leaves are actually advanced solar cells that mimic photosynthesis, the process by which their real-life counterparts convert sunlight and water into energy,the Principal Source of Food.

 Like Ordinary Leaves , the device can turn the energy of sunlight directly into a chemical fuel that can be stored and used later as an energy source. 

The leaf is a silicon solar cell coated with catalytic materials on its side that, when placed in a container of water and exposed to sunlight, splits the H2O into bubbles of oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen Bubbles can be stored in A Container and used as an energy source, for example to power a fuel cell. 

"The device both captures the solar energy and stores it in the chemical bonds of the hydrogen and oxygen that are produced from the water," Steven Reece, a research scientist with Sun Catalytix and lead author of a paper describing the breakthrough!

This Whilst Research Was Publishied in the journal Science.

The artificial leaf is made entirely with earth-abundant, inexpensive materials — mostly silicon, cobalt, and nickel — and it works in ordinary water. Other attempts have required more expensive catalysts such as platinum and/or extremely caustic water, noted Reece.

At Present The Main Thing Or Obstacle is The Collection And Storage of Energy In a Hydrogen Fuel Cells,which is a Bit Difficult And Expensive.Further These are Less Efficient than Traditional Solar Cells ( Artificial Leaf  is 4.7 % Efficient While Solar Cells Today Have 10 Percent Efficiency).Scientists Should Answer These Problem And Find A Possible configuration  to make it Cost Effective And More efficient.

Hope In future Scientists May improve This Technique And Make it available Commercially , to Solve The Energy needs of World. As The Non Renewable Sources Are Limited ,Solutions Like "Artificial Leaf" Are vital for Sustainable Life !

Checkout the Video Demonstrating the Device :