A U.S. government-backed research effort has taken an important step toward mimicking a plant’s ability to convert sunlight and water into fuel. The problem is the researchers don’t have enough money to continue the effort.
The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), a research program created by the Obama administration in 2010, involves researchers at several academic labs, led by a team at Caltech. These researchers have demonstrated a way to extend the life of a promising type of solar electrolyzer, which uses sunlight to directly split water to form oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen produced could be stored and used to generate electricity at night in power plants or fuel cell vehicles.
JCAP was founded in 2010 as one of a handful of U.S. Department of Energy Innovation Hubs, with a promise of $122 million over five years. Nathan Lewis, the director of the center, hopes the latest progress might persuade Congress to extend its funding. “We’re on a roll now and hope to get to continue,” he says.
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