This image shows the new, efficient way to pull pure oxygen from water.
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Image Courtesy of MIT/NSF
Water Refineries?
News story originally written on August 8, 2008
Two scientists have discovered an easy way to get pure oxygen from water using a small amount of electricity. This discovery may become an important new green-energy source.
To produce oxygen, they added a few chemicals to water and then inserted an electrode. As soon as they applied a current, a dark film began to form on the electrode from which tiny pockets of oxygen began to appear, eventually building into a stream of bubbles.
After analyzing the electrode, Nocera and Kanan concluded that a mixture had deposited as a film. They believe the film is what helps break apart the water molecules to create oxygen gas. The protons (hydrogen nuclei) released from the process pick up electrons and convert back into hydrogen at a partner electrode.
Oxygen and hydrogen are energy-rich fuels. This new technique could be a cheap energy source for people to use when the Sun goes down. While this might not be available as a home-based energy source for about ten more years, this discovery is a major step forward.
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