Solar-powered 'leaf' generates hydrogen while purifying seawater
“This dual-function device represents a major leap forward for environmental technology. By efficiently harvesting solar energy to break down a toxic industrial pollutant while simultaneously harvesting clean fuel, we are solving both an energy problem and a pollution problem,” says Prof. Lydia Wong, one of the researchers. The NTU researchers took a different approach detailed in the journal Nature Communications: one that not only circumvents the corrosion problem but also simultaneously breaks down any hydrazine present in the seawater, while making the entire hydrogen production process more energy-efficient. You see, in conventional electrolysis, the supplied electricity drives two reactions simultaneously. At the cathode, water molecules gain electrons and produce hydrogen gas, while at the anode, they lose electrons to produce oxygen. The resulting oxygen is often released into…
