Nanomaterial uses solar energy to extract hydrogen from water. (Source: Nature Catalysis)

This nanomaterial gets its energy from sunlight.

Developed by a team of researchers from the UK, Canada, China and the US, the material is inspired by nature and can be used in both fresh and salt water.

The team said they had created hydrogen through a new process. Hydrogen is typically created by splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. This process, achieved by applying an electric current, is called electrolysis.

However, in new research, scientists have found a way to remove electricity from the above method.

Specifically, according to information published in the journal Nature Catalysis in May 2023, scientists have found a way to mimic some photosynthetic bacteria that can harvest energy from sunlight. They copied the bacteria's unusual structure to create nanomaterials.

This nanomaterial can convert water into hydrogen. Hydrogen is used in fuels for batteries and industrial products (such as methanol and aldehyde).

"This nanomaterial is stable enough in water," said David Lee Phillips, a scientist at the University of Hong Kong, who led the research. "That's a big breakthrough because a lot of materials for photocatalytic reactions are not stable in water. Here we're using water as the reactant - just like what happens in nature."

Creating this nanomaterial makes hydrogen production not only more efficient, but also cheaper because it requires less energy. The nanomaterial can also create high-purity products made from hydrogen instead of using substances like ammonia.