Sunlight shines on silver technology.

www.abc.net.au...



"Scientists have taken a promising step toward the goal of generating a new source of clean energy, using little more than sunlight and water.

Dr Zhiguo Yi from the Australian National University (ANU) and collaborators in Australia, China and Japan have proven that a simple chemical based on silver, called silver orthophosphate, can produce gaseous oxygen from water when exposed to visible light.

This breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Materials, raises the possibility that the silver compound could be used to 'split water' into oxygen and hydrogen, allowing the hydrogen to be used as a clean fuel."


Cheap and effective means of harvesting hydrogen from water. About bloody time!
Reducing the VAST amounts of sparks needed in traditional Hydrogen generation,will make hydrogen power alot more digestible to fuel companies.

Hopefully this could herald a change on the wind for us,and make the weaning process from fossil fuels a tad less painless.

[edit on 6-6-2010 by Cygnus_Hunter]

Wow,

No one but me thinks this is ok? oook then time to get back in my box

Originally posted by Cygnus_Hunter
Wow,

No one but me thinks this is ok? oook then time to get back in my box

So then (when everything goes that way as a fuel) all the water gets depleted...?

Cool find, thanks.

I was thinking more of the application of mining ice in space,and using this new tech as a means of cheaper fuel for exploration.

Important? Hell yea!

This is an important step in the right direction. Burning fuel still seems to be the most convenient way to produce useable power, the issue at the moment (obviously) is the source.

If this process could be refined, generating fuel from water and sunlight (of which we have HEAPS in OZ) would be great. The average level of energy from the sun falling on our planet is around 1KW/m2 (prob more like 2 - 3 on a clear day out west here) so a bit of land would need to be used. Of course we have more than enough of that too.

Get back out of your box mate!

[edit on 8-6-2010 by OZtracized]