Artificial leaves, can absorb energy and generate Solar Electricity

A variety of interesting discoveries continue to emerge as increasingly sophisticated technological development. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), creating an artificial leaf that can absorb solar energy and produce electricity.

Claimed as the world's first artificial leaves that can benefit large, the authors describe this finding as a playing card-sized solar cells that mimic the process of photosynthesis in plants.

"This practical artificial leaves has been a discovery of 'big' in science. We believe we have managed to make it," said Daniel Nocera, who led the development of this artificial leaves.

He mentioned, artificial leaves is very promising as a source of cheap electricity for the households in developing countries.

"Our goal is to make each house has its own power station," Nocera said optimistically.

Placed in one gallon of water in the sun is shining bright, artificial leaves can supply power for a modest home for one day.

HOT NEWS Quoted from Giz Mag, Tuesday (03/29/2011), this leaves work by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, then store them in a tank of fuel cells used for electrical menghsilkan.

Nocera said his findings are made from material that is cheap and widely available, which is based on a new generation of catalysts made of nickel and cobalt. This material is very efficient to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen as well as work on the condition that is simple and very stable.

In their experiment, a prototype was operated continuously for 45 hours, and no performance decrease. Nocera claims, 10 times more efficient discovery process of photosynthesis rather than a real leaf.

"Nature is powered by photosynthesis. I believe the future of the world can also get a lot of energy from photosynthesis," he said.