Right on ars. The article brings up more questions than answers.
The reference to photosynthesis is indirect. I think the point of the reference is that photosynthesis stores the sun's energy and then uses it later on. And that is what his process will allow. Photovoltaics can provide energy all day, and instead of feeding the grid and getting energy credit the system can create hydrogen and oxygen gas and then use those later on when the sun is no longer out (through a fuel cell for example). The process, he is claiming will only presumably require water and some other "common" materials.
I imagine something like this could be possible. Some unanswered questions: How efficient is it, if it isn't efficient then can it scale? How expensive are the materials required? Where are the details? A paper, article in a magazine or even a web site with details. I have no idea why MIT would announce something like this without publishing first or simultaneously.
The reference to photosynthesis is indirect. I think the point of the reference is that photosynthesis stores the sun's energy and then uses it later on. And that is what his process will allow. Photovoltaics can provide energy all day, and instead of feeding the grid and getting energy credit the system can create hydrogen and oxygen gas and then use those later on when the sun is no longer out (through a fuel cell for example). The process, he is claiming will only presumably require water and some other "common" materials.
I imagine something like this could be possible. Some unanswered questions: How efficient is it, if it isn't efficient then can it scale? How expensive are the materials required? Where are the details? A paper, article in a magazine or even a web site with details. I have no idea why MIT would announce something like this without publishing first or simultaneously.
Links I could find:
http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/dgn/www/research/e_conversion.h...
http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/faculty/nocera.html