VATIS UPDATE Article

Scientists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Chemical Laboratory, India, have developed an artificial leaf that absorbs sunlight to generate hydrogen fuel from water, an advance that may provide clean energy for powering eco-friendly cars in the future. The ultra-thin wireless device mimics plant leaves to produce energy using water and sunlight.

“It is known that hydrogen generation from renewable resources will be the ultimate solution to our energy and environment problems,” said Chinnakonda S Gopinath, at CSIR. Gopinath said that his team had been working in the area of water splitting to generate hydrogen for nearly a decade. Hydrogen burning gives energy and water as a side product, underscoring its importance and relevance to the present day world.

The device consists of semiconductors stacked in a manner to simulate the natural leaf system. When visible light strikes the semiconductors, electrons move in one direction, producing electric current. The current almost instantaneously splits water into hydrogen – which researchers believe is one of the cleanest forms of fuel as its main byproduct is water. The research has been published in the Scientific Reports.