Water splitting
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Water splitting is the general term for a chemical reaction in which water is converted into oxygen and hydrogen. This process in plants takes place in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), of Photosystem II. Water splitting is actively researched because demand for cheap hydrogen is expected to rise with the new hydrogen economy.
Current water splitting methods include
- electrolysis
- thermolysis at 2500°C or above.
Active research
- water splitting by photocatalysis (artificial photosynthesis) [1]
- High-temperature electrolysis
[edit] References
[1] Strategies for the Development of Visible-light-driven Photocatalysts for Water Splitting Akihiko Kudo, Hideki Kato1 and Issei Tsuji Chemistry Letters Vol. 33 (2004) , No. 12 p.1534
Water splitting also donates electrons to power the electron transport chain in photophosphorylation of photosynthesis.
