“Artificial Leaf” could power the world

Commercial versions of the system could be developed within two years

A breakthrough discovery by scientists at Monash University artificially re-creates the process of photosynthesis and could deliver power in a variety of applications.

Called an “artificial leaf”,  the process creates a solar-powered device that produces hydrogen with unprecedented efficiency.

Scientists hope to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis, in which plants produce nutrients by using sunlight to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The discovery has been revealed in an article in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.

Lead researcher Leone Spiccia told the Australian newspaper that the electrochemical splitting of water offered a cheap, clean source of hydrogen as the “ultimate sustainable fuel”. “This breakthrough takes us one step further,” he said.

The process stores 22.4 per cent of captured solar energy in the form of hydrogen. This compares with a previous record of 18 per cent and is well above the 10 per cent efficiency benchmark required for “practical impact”.

Co-author Doug MacFarlane from the Department of Chemistry at Monash said the system used an electrode made from nickel, a relatively common and “benign” element. Other systems use rare and expensive metals such as platinum and palladium and pollutants such as cadmium and lead.

Professor MacFarlane said the system did not use much water and could operate in sea¬water.

The system could be used to store excess solar energy when the electricity grid was saturated, or to power the increasing range of fuel-cell cars. It could be installed on home rooftops, or larger models could sit on the roofs of petrol stations.

“The fuel (can be) generated where you fill your car up,” Professor MacFarlane.

Mobile versions could also be developed for use in disaster zones, while at the other end of the scale, huge water-splitting plants could be installed alongside solar farms in the desert.