Inexpensive hydrogen for automotive or jet fuel may be possible by mimicking photosynthesis, according to a Penn State materials chemist, but a number of problems need to be solved first. “We are focused on the hardest way to make fuel,” said Thomas Mallouk, Evan Pugh Professor of Materials Chemistry and Physics. “We are creating an [...]

‘Tall Order’ Sunlight-to-Hydrogen System Works, Neutron Analysis Confirms Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a biohybrid photoconversion system – based on the interaction of photosynthetic plant proteins with synthetic polymers – that can convert visible light into hydrogen fuel. Photosynthesis, the natural process carried out by plants, algae and [...]

Biofuels. What a great name! It just sounds green. Looking around I see a proliferation of Biodiesel bumper stickers everywhere I look. In my home state of Oregon all filling stations will be required to add at least 10 % ethanol to all gasoline by next year. Environmentalists are cheering as politicians and the media [...]

Don’t get too attached to gas powered vehicles. A new hydrogen fuel station, the first of its kind on the East coast, opened for business, Monday. Drivers in the United States spend more than $25 billion annually on oil from foreign countries. Now new hydrogen stations in South Carolina could eliminate the U.S.’s dependency and [...]

Tomorrow our vehicles may derive power by enzymes. These enzymes may originate from the cellulose of woodchips or grass and instead of emitting poisonous gases they will exhale hydrogen. We know that when hydrogen is burned, the only emission it makes is water vapor, so a key benefit of hydrogen fuel is that when burned, [...]

Methanol (CH3OH), also known as wood alcohol, is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Methanol is basically methane with its hydrogen molecule replaced by a hydroxyl radical (OH). Although a variety of feedstocks can be used to create methanol, today’s economics favour the use of natural gas. The methanol is [...]