New energy order arrives: photosynthesis produces Hydrogen from sea water

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 19 August 2008 09:03

Science - Energy

Scientists at Monash University in Australia, together with Princeton University and the CSIRO, have discovered a new way to produce Hydrogen from water using artificial photosynthesis. The process, which uses chemicals found in plants, works even under low light conditions and with ordinary sea water, according to the lead researcher.

The photosynthesis replication research revealed at Monash University follows the recent announcement of a similar breakthrough at MIT earlier this month. However, the two programs are not related and the processes are different.

Professor Leone Spiccia of the Monash School of Chemistry, who is a lead researcher in the water splitting program, told iTWire that the MIT and Monash programs are two independent approaches to the same problem.

"The MIT one focusses on a Cobalt Phosphate material that they can make and deposit and then they use that to oxidise water. In our case we use a Manganese cubic structure which was developed initially by collaborator (Professor) Chuck Dismukes (of Princeton) as a mimick of the Managanese cluster that's found in all photosynthetic organisms," says Professor Spiccia.

"That is the only centre in nature that actually oxidises water. That's the big difference. A manganese cluster is central to a plant's ability to use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to make carbohydrates and oxygen. We've taken what Chuck Dismukes has done a step further, harnessing the ability of these molecules to convert water into its component elements, oxygen and hydrogen," Professor Spiccia said.

"A company in the UK is using a dual cell approach where you generate electricity with a solar cell and you use that electricity to split water. Our approach is that you do away with the solar cell altogether and just irradiate one device and generate hydrogen and oxygen in the process."

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