Scientists discover revolutionary method that makes fuel from water and sunlight — but it's not finished yet

Scientists in Japan have demonstrated a new method to create hydrogen fuel without emitting greenhouse gases. But key steps to improve its efficiency remain for it to be commercially viable.

 he hydrogen fuel tank of a Toyota vehicle on display.

Scientists in Japan have demonstrated a new proof-of-concept reactor that can harvest renewable hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water.

The new 1,076-square-foot (100 square meters) reactor uses photocatalytic sheets to split apart the oxygen and hydrogen atoms found in water molecules, thus siphoning the hydrogen away to be used as fuel.

While the technology remains in its infancy, the scientists behind the research say that, if more efficient photocatalysts can be developed, their breakthrough could enable the production of cheap, sustainable hydrogen fuel to meet various energy needs. They published their findings Dec. 2 in the journal Frontiers in Science.

"Sunlight-driven water splitting using photocatalysts is an ideal technology for solar-to-chemical energy conversion and storage, and recent developments in photocatalytic materials and systems raise hopes for its realization," senior author Kazunari Domen, a chemistry professor at Shinshu University in Japan, said in a statement. "However, many challenges remain."

Upon being exposed to light, photocatalysts boost chemical reactions that break water molecules down into their constituent parts. However, most existing "one-step" catalysts — which decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen in one go — are extremely inefficient, leaving most of the hydrogen fuel to be refined using natural gas, a fossil fuel.

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