The World’s First Artificial Leaf was Created by the Scientists

A team of Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology created in the last week of March 2011, the world’s first practical artificial leaf that can turn sunlight and water into energy. It could result into a cheaper source of power in developing countries like India.

 The artificial leaf can use sunlight to break water into oxygen and hydrogen which can be utilized further to create electricity in a separate fuel cell. The artificial leaf consists of silicon, electronics and various catalysts which ignite chemical reactions within the device. This scientific technology can allow villages in India and Africa to have an affordable basic power system.

The scientists identified a set of inexpensive common catalysts comprising cobalt and nickel to carry out their research. These leaves worked continuously for 45 straight hours with no drop in output. The scientists presented their findings at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.