_Researchers: Water-splitting discovery is giant leap for solar energy  storage_
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A recently developed process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen
gases using the sun's energy could one day efficiently store solar power—and
this could soon transform solar power from an alternative to a mainstream
energy source, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers said last
week.

Inspired by plant photosynthesis, the process developed by MIT Professor of
Energy Daniel Nocera and postdoctoral fellow Matthew Kanan uses two
catalysts, one that produces oxygen from water, and the other, hydrogen. The oxygen
and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell for carbon-free electricity,
the researchers said.

The oxygen-producing catalyst—a new discovery—consists of cobalt metal,
phosphate, and an electrode, placed in water. Electricity running through the
electrode causes the cobalt and phosphate to form a thin film on the
electrodes and form oxygen gas. Combined with a hydrogen-producing catalyst—such as
platinum—the system can duplicate the water-splitting reaction in
photosynthesis.

Nocera said in an MIT _news release_
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08/oxygen-0731.html&issueid=297&EmailAddress=CAVM@AOL.COM)

that more engineering work is required to integrate the discovery into
existing photovoltaic systems. "The new catalyst works at room temperature, in
neutral pH water, and it's easy to set up," he said. "That's why I know this
is going to work. It's so easy to implement."

Industrial processes to split water with electricity are currently in use,
but they use electrolyzers that are not suited for artificial photosynthesis
as they are costly and require a non-benign environment, the release said.

This process, in contrast, uses nothing but abundant, nontoxic natural
materials. In one hour, enough sunlight strikes Earth to provide the entire planet
's energy needs for one year, Nocera said.

"This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," he said. "
Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can
seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon."

Source: MIT