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IMAGE: Guosong Zeng, a postdoctoral scholar in Berkeley Lab s Chemical Sciences Division, at work testing an artificial photosynthesis device made of gallium nitride. Zeng, along with Berkeley Lab staff scientist Francesca. view more
Credit: Thor Swift/Berkeley Lab
Three years ago, scientists at the University of Michigan discovered an artificial photosynthesis device made of silicon and gallium nitride (Si/GaN) that harnesses sunlight into carbon-free hydrogen for fuel cells with twice the efficiency and stability of some previous technologies.
Now, scientists at the Department of Energy s (DOE s) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) - in collaboration with the University of Michigan and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) - have uncovered a surprising, self-improving property in Si/GaN that contributes to the material s highly efficient and stable performance in converting light and water into carbon-free hydrogen. Their findings,