It is possible - fuel from spinach!Popeye was right: to get the energy all we need is sun and spinach
Researchers have long tried to reproduce the way in which photosynthetic organisms use energy from sunlight to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, which subsequently react with carbon dioxide to produce sugar.
But now a team of scientists led by Hugh O'Neill from the American office for energy, proteins, combined with the light sensitive components, known as polymers and platinum catalysts, to produce a membrane that generates hydrogen from sunlight. Scientists have extracted proteins from spinach, then add the liquid containing copolymers and sodium hexachloroplatinate, which turns the plate in the presence of light and protein.
Proteins react with the copolymer, and forming layers like those naturally found in photosynthetic membranes. When researchers studied these layers, they found that the membrane produces hydrogen. What is interesting, it continued to produce the next 100 hours.
Protein molecules absorb sunlight and releases electrons, transferring them to the platinum molecules. Platinum then catalyzes the reduction of protons to hydrogen, which can be used as fuel.
Researchers have long tried to reproduce the way in which photosynthetic organisms use energy from sunlight to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, which subsequently react with carbon dioxide to produce sugar.
But now a team of scientists led by Hugh O'Neill from the American office for energy, proteins, combined with the light sensitive components, known as polymers and platinum catalysts, to produce a membrane that generates hydrogen from sunlight. Scientists have extracted proteins from spinach, then add the liquid containing copolymers and sodium hexachloroplatinate, which turns the plate in the presence of light and protein.
Proteins react with the copolymer, and forming layers like those naturally found in photosynthetic membranes. When researchers studied these layers, they found that the membrane produces hydrogen. What is interesting, it continued to produce the next 100 hours.
Protein molecules absorb sunlight and releases electrons, transferring them to the platinum molecules. Platinum then catalyzes the reduction of protons to hydrogen, which can be used as fuel.
No comments:
Post a Comment