Having had a quick look at solar energy already, one of the key issues is the efficient production of energy from solar cells using widely available materials. Scientists at Harvard University have been addressing this.
The Artificial Leaf
This carries out the same processes as in nature but it allows for collection of oxygen and more importantly hydrogen which can be used as a fuel. The leaf is made of a silicon wafer: one side produces oxygen and the other produces hydrogen from photosynthesis. The the important break through with this research is that cheap and widely available metals have been used as catalysts in the reaction, instead of platinum which how it was originally achieved (Reece et al, 2011, Science). As it really highlights in the paper, the most important development is the cheap and widely available materials that are used in the process.
Harvard Professor and one of the main authors on the paper, Daniel, Nocera, explains the process in this Horizon clip.
No external wires or controls are needed, the silicon chip just has to be placed in water. This is what it actually looks like, with some real leaves in the background in case you hadn't seen them before... More information can be found on the MIT News Site
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| The artificial lead - image from MIT news |
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