Water-Splitting Company Founded
The start-up is commercializing what some have called a breakthrough new catalyst for producing hydrogen.
Kevin Bullis 04/16/2009
- 6 Comments
According to the website Xconomy, a start-up has been founded to develop a much-discussed catalyst invented by MIT professor Daniel Nocera, one that can be used to split water efficiently without requiring rare metals or caustic chemicals. Easy and inexpensive water-splitting (which produces hydrogen and oxygen) could be a good way to store energy from solar power or wind turbines for use when it's dark outside or the wind isn't blowing. The hydrogen could be used as a fuel that could be burned whenever it's needed. Some sort of energy storage will be necessary if these renewable sources are to ever supply a large portion of our electricity.
Not much is known about the company other than that it's called Sun Catalytix, and is funded by Polaris Venture Partners, based in Waltham, MA. It makes sense that the company would want to stay quiet for awhile. Nocera's advance was in basic chemistry. Turning it into a useful product could take a long time. Read more about Nocera's advance, and the challenges ahead, here.
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rttedrow
63 Comments
Water splitting
Why would not hydrogen, together with ambient oxygen, power a vehicle or fuel a furnace?
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paulfmeyer
18 Comments
Re: Water splitting
Great News. I hope it comes to something at last. Electrolysis of water has seen enormous amounts of money thrown at it. Both from the research and the misinformaion side of the issue.
If it works, goodbye fossil fuels. Goodbye utility companies. Hello rooftop panels tied to bi-directional fuel cell/furnace/hot water heater. So long, monthly energy bills.
Hmm. Maybe that's why it never seems to cross the line from research to commercialization.
At least all the PR companies from the Bush Era that used to work to disprove global warming know what they will be working against next.
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