Hydrogen-producing artificial leaves might soon be even better at their jobs thanks to a new study that examined the effects of pressure on the chemical processes they run. It all comes down to bubbles.
When it comes to certain processes, it’s hard to beat nature. Take photosynthesis, for example. Thanks to their leaves, trees are able to suck carbon dioxide out of the air, combine it with water and get the energy they need to live, while kicking back a healthy dose of oxygen to the rest of the planet.
So instead of trying to do one better than a leaf, scientists have spent years trying to mimic it and apply its principles in unique ways. While we’ve seen artificial leaves that can produce everything from synthetic gas to pharmaceutical drugs, one of the most promising uses of the little pieces of tech is to free up hydrogen from air and water. This happens in natural photosynthesis as plants pull apart the hydrogen and oxygen atoms…
