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| Joined: | Mon Nov 21st, 2005 |
| Location: | California USA |
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New research out of MIT has created an artificial leaf that's not only cheap to build, but resilient too. The leaf is like a thinner version of a playing card in size. When placed in water in sunlight, it uses the new, inexpensive catalysts to convert the liquid into hydrogen and oxygen — and each of the gasses is emitted from a different side of the leaf — which can then be used as a power source. Using the leaf, a gallon of water can be used to generate enough power to fuel a house for a day. Currently the device functions at 10 times the efficiency of photosynthesis, but the researchers are sure they can improve it further.