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Alternative fuels closer to reality

High gas prices; limited sources of fossil fuels; carbon-footprint; are likely all terms things you think about when you pay the heating bill or fill up you vehicle.

High gas prices; limited sources of fossil fuels; carbon-footprint; are likely all terms things you think about when you pay the heating bill or fill up you vehicle. It is not uncommon to think of the all of the alternative energy sources claimed to be innovative as the same idealistic bogus news you have heard time and time again.

You may ask why aren't these amazing sources of energy being implemented? Why am I still paying ridiculous gas prices? Although we may still be waiting a decade or so before we can see real effective results of alternative energy, scientists are coming closer and closer to making this ideal a reality. One example of this scientific breakthrough is solar fuel.

Solar fuel research has been around since the 1970s, however recent work in solar fuels has generated solar fuels from artificial photosynthesis from inexpensive sources. Much likes the photosystems in plants, which harvest sunlight energy to split water and forming oxygen, these artificial photosystems can be used to generate solar fuels. Inspired by these artificial photosystems, new research focused on light harvestation to photogenerate hydrogen in water, with the use of a semi-conductor.

The semi-conductor used cadmium and selenium, which when excited with light releases electrons to hydrogen ions (charged hydrogen molecules). The hydrogen can then self-react to give hydrogen gas. Hydrogen has many applications and the ability to replace fossil fuels in storage cells. Hydrogen gas can be produced domestically; is environmentally friendly; and can reduce or dependency on the pollutant carbon energy. Furthermore hydrogen gas is much less flammable than gasoline, giving it an added safety benefit. The research allows for a lot of hydrogen gas to be produced without the degradation of the semiconductor.

There still exists the problem however, of increasing its efficiency to compete with fossil fuels. Although there is still more research required to implement this knowledge, the work mentioned here can reassure us of a cleaner energy future. Hopefully the next time you pay your heating bill or fill up your gas tank, you will wonder when we will be able to substitute our fossil fuels and not if.

Monita Ranu

Prince George