As the world faces an increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy sources, scientists are turning to the power of photosynthesis for inspiration. With the goal of developing new, environmentally friendly techniques to produce clean-burning hydrogen fuel, a team of researchers at the University of Rochester is embarking on a groundbreaking project to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis using bacteria to deliver electrons to a nanocrystal semiconductor photocatalyst.
In a paper published in the journal PNAS, Kara Bren, the Richard S. Eisenberg Professor in Chemistry at Rochester, and Todd Krauss, a professor of chemistry, demonstrate that the bacteria Shewanella oneidensis offer an effectively free, yet efficient, way to provide electrons to their artificial photosynthesis system.
By leveraging the unique properties of these microorganisms along with nanomaterials, the system has the potential to replace current approaches that derive hydrogen from fossil fuels, revolutionizing the way hydrogen fuel is produced and unlocking a powerful source of renewable energy.
"Hydrogen is definitely a fuel of high interest for the DOE right now," Bren says. "If we can figure out a way to efficiently extract hydrogen from water, this could lead to an incredible amount of growth in clean energy."
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