Progress made in photosynthesis-like hydrogen gas creation

Science News : Photosynthesis uses sunlight to create fuel sources for plants, and researchers have been working to develop similar processes. A new study by researchers from the University of Rochester in New York have used cadmium-selenium nanocrystals in water to create H ₂. When sunlight strikes the crystals, they release electrons, which were picked up by hydrogen atoms in the water that then joined to form hydrogen gas. Because splitting water molecules to get the free hydrogen atoms is difficult, the researchers added ascorbic acid and a nickel catalyst to the solution. What surprised the researchers about the setup was that once initiated, the process continued for two weeks, at which point they stopped the run themselves. Other similar systems for creating H ₂ degrade fairly quickly.