Washington: An artificial leaf created by scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can really be a ray of hope for the world which is struggling hard for alternative sources of energy.

This leaf is the world’s first practical artificial leaf. However, an effort has also been done earlier. John Turner developed the first artificial leaf around ten years before .But that leaf was not practical because of its short lifespan. It was more expensive also.

This time, MIT has used inexpensive catalysts to generate electricity. These Catalysts, made from cobalt and nickel, are efficient enough to break down water into oxygen and hydrogen by using sunlight. Oxygen and Hydrogen are then utilized to crank out electricity in a separate cell.

In short, it can be said the artificial leaf follows the natural photosynthetic process only but it’s around ten times more proficient as compared to a natural leaf.

In laboratory, prototype of this leaf was put on trial and much to the surprise, it worked continuously for 45 hours without exhibiting any decline in their output. Still, scientists claim that some more efforts will be done to further enhance the efficiency and lifespan of the leaf.

Dr.Daniel Nocera, who led the team at MIT, was much delighted over this success. It’s no longer a dream…it’s a reality…said Mr.Nocera at the 241st National Meeting of the American Society.

This leaf can be a key component in moving towards hydrogen-economy. If this technology works well and gets sufficient advance in future, at least we can hope to have sufficient amount of clean and cheaper energy to power our houses.