A small scale "hydrogen generator" that uses a two-dimensional graphene platform and light to boost the production of graphene has been developed by a team of researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

Scientists took advantage of a new property of graphene recently revaeled by research. It turns out that a sheet of carbon atom chains doesn't only collect and give off electrons, but can also transfer the subatomic particles to another substance.

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Hydrogen is an element found virtually everywhere on Earth, but it's generally bonded to other elements. Hydrogen must also first be separated from oxygen in water to unleash free hydrogen atoms.

Natural gas and superheated steam together are normally used to remove the hydrogen atoms and release hydrogen fuel. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is a by-product of the process and escapes into the atmosphere.

The National Laboratory's early-stage generator, which consists of numerous tiny assemblies, is evidence that hydrogen can be produced without consuming fossil fuels.

The scale produced is small, a little smaller than the diameter of spider silk. Making the scale larger in the future could mean scientists will be able to replace fossil fuels in generators and cars with hydrogen fuel, which is a more environmental-friendly option. Using hydrogen fuel only yields water vapor as a by-product.

"Many researchers are looking to inorganic materials for new sources of energy," said Elena Rozhkova, chemist at Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials, a DOE Office of Science User Facility. "Our goal is to learn from the natural world and use its materials as building blocks for innovation."

Rozhkova took notice of an ancient protein that turns light into energy and used it as an inspiration for the building block.

Researchers have long known that a few single-celled organisms used bacteriorhodopsin, a protein, absorb light and pump protons through a membrane, producing a type of chemical energy.

To split the molecular components of water, proteins should be combined with titanium dioxide and platinum and then exposed to ultraviolet light.

By applying graphene, the efficiency of the mini-generator is increased. Graphene is a super light, super strong and nearly completely transparent sheet of carbon atoms and one of the best conductors of charged particles in history.

"Graphene not only has all these amazing properties, but it is also ultra-thin and biologically inert," said Rozhkova. "Its very presence allowed the other components to self-assemble around it, which totally changes how the electrons move throughout our system."

The miniature generator works by letting the graphene platform and bR proteins absorb visible light. The electrons yielded from the reaction are relayed to a titanium dioxide layer to which both materials are attached, making the titanium dioxide layer sensitive to the visible spectrum of light.

Hydrogen is produced by the interaction of electron and protons. This reaction is brought about by green light from the spectrum triggering the protein. The protein then pumps protons along its membrane. Protons make their way to the platinum layer on the titanium dioxide.

TagsGraphene, Hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel, Hydrogen power, Green energy, Science, technology