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RESEARCHApril 12, 2010Virus boosts water splittingUse a virus to form the right nanostructure and you're a step closer to efficiently extracting hydrogen from water using sunlight.The nanodevice is made by attaching a zinc-containing molecule at one end of a genetically modified M13 virus and an iridium-oxide-containing molecule at the other end. The photosynthesis-mimicking device extracts energy from sunlight and uses it to split oxygen from water. Oxidizing water is one of the two half-reactions needed to extract hydrogen for fuel. The zinc molecule absorbs photons and emits electrons, which travel down the wire-like virus. The iridium oxide molecule uses the energy to catalyze the oxidizing reaction. The virus-based structures are embedded in a gel to keep them from clumping together. The researchers have also used the virus template method to make thin-film electrodes for batteries. Research paper: Biologically templated photocatalytic nanostructures for sustained light-driven water oxidation Nature Nanotechnology, April 11, 2010 Researchers' contact: Angela Belcher Related stories and briefs: Artificial photosynthesis gets more sun -- related research Microbe makes most of light -- related research Algae proteins boost solar concentrators -- related research Back to ERN home |
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