Scientists say new nanomaterial can harness sunlight to produce hydrogen for green energy

Inspired by photosynthetic bacteria, international team develops material that uses light to convert water into hydrogen for fuel cells

It can be used in fresh and salt water under ambient conditions, potentially increasing efficiency and decreasing costs of process, they say

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Scientists are looking for cleaner ways to extract hydrogen – regarded as the ultimate non-polluting fuel – from water. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:00am, 19 Jun 2023

An international team of scientists developed a new nanomaterial to extract hydrogen from water in a solar-powered process that could open the door to green and efficient clean energy production.

The researchers said the material could be used in both fresh water and salt water under ambient conditions without the need for specific temperatures or pressure levels.

Hydrogen is regarded as the ultimate non-polluting fuel and the energy-storage medium of the future. A conventional way to produce hydrogen is to split water into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity in a process called electrolysis.

To eliminate the need for electricity in the process, scientists in Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, mainland China and the United States took inspiration from nature.

Plants perform photosynthesis, the process of using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar. Similarly, there are photosynthetic bacteria that can efficiently transfer energy from sunlight.