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| Rust promises hydrogen power boost | Rust promises hydrogen power boost |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rust could help boost the efficiency of hydrogen production from sunlight - a potentially green source of energy. | Rust could help boost the efficiency of hydrogen production from sunlight - a potentially green source of energy. |
| Tiny (nano-sized) particles of haematite (crystalline iron oxide, or rust) have been shown to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of solar energy. | Tiny (nano-sized) particles of haematite (crystalline iron oxide, or rust) have been shown to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of solar energy. |
| The result could bring the goal of generating cheap hydrogen from sunlight and water a step closer to reality. | The result could bring the goal of generating cheap hydrogen from sunlight and water a step closer to reality. |
| Details are published in the journal Nature Materials. | Details are published in the journal Nature Materials. |
| Researchers from Switzerland, the US and Israel identified what they termed "champion nanoparticles" of haematite, which are a few billionths of a metre in size. | Researchers from Switzerland, the US and Israel identified what they termed "champion nanoparticles" of haematite, which are a few billionths of a metre in size. |
| Bubbles of hydrogen gas appear spontaneously when the tiny grains of haematite are put into water under sunlight as part of a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC). | Bubbles of hydrogen gas appear spontaneously when the tiny grains of haematite are put into water under sunlight as part of a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC). |
| The nanostructures look like minuscule cauliflowers, and they are grown as a layer on top of an electrode. | |
| The key to the improvement lies in understanding how electrons inside the haematite crystals interact with the edges of grains within these "champions" | The key to the improvement lies in understanding how electrons inside the haematite crystals interact with the edges of grains within these "champions" |
| Where the particle is correctly oriented and contains no grain boundaries, electrons pass along efficiently. | Where the particle is correctly oriented and contains no grain boundaries, electrons pass along efficiently. |
| This allows water splitting to take place that leads to the capture of about 15% of the energy in the incident sunlight - that which falls on a set area for a set length of time. This energy can then be stored in the form of hydrogen. | This allows water splitting to take place that leads to the capture of about 15% of the energy in the incident sunlight - that which falls on a set area for a set length of time. This energy can then be stored in the form of hydrogen. |
| Identifying the champion nanoparticles allowed Scott Warren and Michael Graetzel from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, to master the methods for increasing the effectiveness of their prototype cell. | Identifying the champion nanoparticles allowed Scott Warren and Michael Graetzel from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, to master the methods for increasing the effectiveness of their prototype cell. |
| Iron oxide is cheap, and the electrodes used to create abundant, environmentally-friendly hydrogen from water in this photochemical method should be inexpensive and relatively efficient. | Iron oxide is cheap, and the electrodes used to create abundant, environmentally-friendly hydrogen from water in this photochemical method should be inexpensive and relatively efficient. |
| The hydrogen made from water and sunlight in this way could then be stored, transported, and sold on for subsequent energy needs in fuel cells or simply by burning. | The hydrogen made from water and sunlight in this way could then be stored, transported, and sold on for subsequent energy needs in fuel cells or simply by burning. |
| Commenting on the research, Dr Chin Kin Ong, from the department of chemical engineering at Imperial College London told BBC News the research could yield material that was "cheap, earth-abundant and efficient at photon-to-electron-to hydrogen energy conversion". | Commenting on the research, Dr Chin Kin Ong, from the department of chemical engineering at Imperial College London told BBC News the research could yield material that was "cheap, earth-abundant and efficient at photon-to-electron-to hydrogen energy conversion". |