Hydrogen has tremendous potential as an eco-friendly
fuel, but it is expensive to produce. Now researchers at Princeton
University and Rutgers University have moved a step closer to harnessing
nature to produce hydrogen for us.
The team, led by Princeton chemistry professor Annabella
Selloni, takes inspiration from bacteria that make hydrogen from water
using enzymes called di-iron hydrogenases. Selloni’s team uses computer
models to figure out how to incorporate the magic of these enzymes into the
design of practical synthetic catalysts that humans can use to produce
hydrogen from water.