Researchers from KU Leuven and the University of Antwerp come up with a new device that they claim not only cleans pollution from the air, but also converts it into hydrogen that can be used as a clean fuel. And, just to make it that much more interesting, the entire thing is light-powered.
The device is comprised of two chambers that are divided by a thin membrane. One chamber takes in and purifies polluted air while the other uses the process to generate hydrogen. The whole thing works because of nanomaterials in the device that act as catalysts for all the necessary reactions.
The researchers involved in the project compare the reaction to what happens in solar panels:
According to the report, the device would actually work even better in air that is more polluted because it spurs on a stronger reaction. But, as cool as the device sounds, don’t expect to buy on on Amazon any time soon. The gadget is just a proof of concept prototype.
“There’s still a lot of work to do to make this applicable to daily life. It’s not like we discovered the holy grail yet. But this is a new field of opportunities.”
