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| Now where did I see this mechanism before? Who wants to bet that they've secured a patent on this method which has been prior art by mother nature since photosynthesis began?
Quote extracted from news brief at http://www.theregister.com/2004/08/13/green_fuel/ "A UK company has developed a nano-crystalline material that will dramatically improve the production of hydrogen by using solar energy to split water more efficiently into its elemental parts.
There are two photocatalytic cells arranged in series. The front cell is coated with a nano-crystaline film which absorbs high energy (ultraviolet and blue) light. The lower energy light (green and red wavelengths) passes through the front cell and into the second. Here, the light excites the electrons in this cell's coating which sets up an electrical potential. Now there is a potential difference between the two cells allowing current to flow. This electricity splits the water molecules in an electrolyte, producing hydrogen." |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by The_Mohave__Kid Nevada (My Page) on Mon, Aug 16, 04 at 19:49
| "Who wants to bet that they've secured a patent on this method which has been prior art by mother nature since photosynthesis began? " Ahhh .. good reason to take a closer look at the plants we bump into each day ... could be some $$$$ involved ... Ofcourse there is quite a bit of work behind this technology .... I understand there is research to use photosynthesis concepts in light based computers ... apparently there are many "natural" switches in the pathways of photosynthesis ... Good Day ... |
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| Hi Mohave, I don't mind them patenting the material used etc but patents these days are for the process. IOW they patent the process using words similar to those above. This now prevents anybody else from using a similar process. All you have to do look at what is going on in High Tech patent fights recently. Some company is laying claim that they have a patent for selling digital media (songs, video etc) via electronic means. Not the actual code just the basic concept. This is wrong IMHO and this is coming from someone who develops commercial software for a living. Anyways getting off my soap box. There is a lot of upcoming technology that is based on mother nature including storing data in a biological media (think along the Star Trek lines), another uses molecular modeling and another using electron spin (or was that photon, I forget). There is a recent article from U of Toronto and Carleton University (Ottawa) about a new nano technology that will eventually allow them to create a photon based relay switch that is closing in on the "Kuzyk quantum gap". They are using technology based on mother nature (bucky balls). Really cool stuff. |
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- Posted by The_Mohave__Kid Nevada (My Page) on Mon, Aug 16, 04 at 23:39
| "Really cool stuff." It is indeed ... a lot of lives can be changed for the better ... Good Day ... |
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