New Form Of Energy

Researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are looking for a new, clean alternative fuel source and are now looking to hydrogen. The question they are trying to figure out is how to obtain and form this hydrogen without turning to any high energy processes? One overlooked way is right above us. The sun provides photosynthesis, a process by which plants regenerate using energy from the sun. This process may be the answer to our source of a sustainable, clean source of hydrogen. Hydrogen has the quite possibly to be the cleanest fuel alternative. It also emits no greenhouse gas production. This new innovation allows hydrogen to be readily produced from non-hydrocarbon sources

It was found that when coupled with a platinum catalyst, algae has a inner machinery of that of photosynthesis which allows, when exposed to light, the production of hydrogen. A benefit of this method is that it cuts out the unnecessary in the process of solar conversion. It cuts out the the time normally required for the plant to capture solar energy leading to it to grow and reproduce where it will then die and eventually become fossil fuel. It also cuts out the substantial amount of energy required to harvest and process plant material into bio fuel. By ridding these options, we are taking a giant leap forward in helping our planet in a much better and efficient way.