Photo-electrochemical cells (PEC) use sunlight to electrochemically split water in order to generate hydrogen in direct manner, and they are usually made of semiconducting materials. Researchers from Switzerland and US used nature as inspiration to optimize the process by developing iron oxide electrodes that are conjugated with a protein from blue-green algae (also known as ... »

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have produced something they’re calling an “artificial leaf” – a silicon solar cell with different catalytic materials bonded onto its two sides which enable it to produce oxygen and hydrogen. Once the material is placed under water and illuminated by sunlight, it needs external sources of power ... »

After writing about ferrofluid sculptures and Stanford scientists that combined carbon nanotubes and paper, in this article we’re going to write about researchers at Purdue University who have created a magnetic ferropaper. The material is made by impregnating ordinary paper (even newsprint) with a mixture of mineral oil and “magnetic nanoparticles” of iron oxide. The ... »