介绍:
Green leaves are one of the cheapest and the most efficient creators of energy. In the presence of sunlight, they are able to turn carbon dioxide and water into glucose — a process called photosynthesis. While it sounds simple, trying to copy this has been difficult progress for science for decades.
The artificial leaf, developed by a team of researchers led by professor Daniel Nocera, is actually an advanced solar cell that resembles a thin card, more than a green leaf. When placed in a pool of water, it uses sunlight to turn water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules, which can be stored in a fuel cell to produce electricity.
While this has been done in the past, Mr Nocera’s technology is declared a breakthrough for a number of reasons. For one, the materials he is using are inexpensive, and can be readily found almost anywhere. Also, unlike the previous artificial leaves, which lasted for less than a day, this invention is able to function non-stop for about 45 days, and it is ten times more efficient at splitting water into its components than a normal leaf. It works even in polluted pools of water, which is important if it is going to be of any practical use in the developing countries.
Mr Nocera believes that this artificial leaf will be a big step forward in powering homes not only in rural Asia and Africa but also in the rest of the world. He thinks it will be needed by the entire world by the year 2050.
