Water and some nano-structured iron oxide is all it takes to
produce bubbles of solar hydrogen. EPFL and Technion scientists just discovered
the champion structure to achieve this.
In the quest for the production of renewable and clean
energy, photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) constitute a sort of a Holy Grail.
PECs are devices able of splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen in
a single operation, thanks to solar radiation. "As a matter of fact, we've
already discovered this precious chalice, says Michael Grätzel, Director of the
Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces (LPI) at EPFL and inventor of
dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells. Today we have just reached an
important milestone on the path that will lead us forward to profitable
industrial applications."