The process of splitting water that generates hydrogen and oxygen by passing an electric current through water is called "Electrochemical Splitting", according Leone Spiccia, Professor of the School of Chemistry, Monash University.
This statement is in line with the newly discovered "solar fuel generating device" which can produce an energy efficient hydrogen fuel at 22%. Four percent higher than the previous record of 18%.
Spiccia, who is also the lead researcher cited "electrochemical splitting of water could provide a cheap, clean and renewable source of hydrogen and become sustainable fuel. This latest breakthrough is world-shaking and will take us one step further to become a reality."
Meanwhile, co-author and academician Doug MacFarlane, ARC Laureate Fellow and leader of the Energy Program of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at Monash reported that the breakthrough is attributed to the advanced experience of the analysis team in water splitting and the way to tune the method to figure out the most effective and high-efficient industrial solar cells.
Hydrogen is can be used to generate electricity directly in fuel cells, explained MacFarlane.
The latter added that cars drove by fuel cell electric engines are becoming available from a number of car manufacturers and so hydrogen could even be used as an inexpensive energy storage technology at the household level to store energy from rooftop solar cells.
