December 29, 2017

Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found that a newly developed compound, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, acts as a semi-conductor and catalyses the splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. They discovered that mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air. As titanium oxide is a white pigment commonly used in wall paint, the simple addition of the new compound could convert a brick wall into a hydrogen generator. Notably, any location with water vapor in the air, even far from shore, can produce hydrogen; alternatively, the system works in very dry but hot climates near oceans. The sea water evaporated into vapor would be absorbed to produce hydrogen.