Scientists Create Solar Cells that Produce Electricity and Hydrogen Fuel

By Ramon Mejia

Researchers in the Netherlands have created a new type of solar cell that not only produces electrify but also breaks down water into its component parts (Hydrogen and Oxygen) while it does so. Oh, and it does it more efficiently and uses 10,000 times less precious materials than traditional methods..

The secret to these new prototype solar cells are gallium phosphide nanowires, which can split water into its hydrogen and oxygen components far more cheaply and efficiently than the batteries and semiconductor materials that have been used in the past. This makes this type of solar cells very attractive since it’s doing double duty providing electricity for homes and businesses and hydrogen to power the transportation industry of the future. 



So not only did the Eindhoven team make solar cells using less expensive material but also increased efficiency of the hydrogen production at the same time. This one two combo makes the product very attractive to nations like the Netherlands, Finland, and Japan. All of whom have made large investments in alternative energy projects to help power their nations.

The more technical details of the project originally appear in Nature Communications.