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Nature 414, 589-590 (6 December 2001) | doi:10.1038/414589a

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

  • Chair

    • McMaster University
    • Hamilton, Canada
  • PhD student position

    • Laval University Cancer Research Center
    • Quebec city, CANADA

Light work with water

Nathan S. Lewis

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Sunlight can be harnessed by semiconductors to generate a fuel, hydrogen gas, from water. This approach will be impracticable until certain materials-related constraints are overcome: photochemists are on the case.

A stable and efficient material that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen would be an immense blessing. Water and sunlight are both renewable resources, and cheap.