Semiconductor produces and stores hydrogen

If the semiconductor stores the hydrogen and oxygen that implies that it quickly stops working since there must be a limit to how much a pound of semiconductor can store.

Also, I notice that it is four percent efficient. That is quite good. Far better than plants.

I would welcome an hydrogen economy with open arms but I need a lot more information on this semiconductor and how it works before I become excited about it.
I am much more interested in the Thermal Conversion Process for hydrocarbons that generates oil from waste products at present since its upside is more immediate.

Yay. We need to get this fuel cell thing or something going so we won't have to fight so many wars for oil. I'd love it if we didn't need any oil and then we could just point at Saudi Arabia, Iran, and all them and laugh.

Very interesting article, Sam. It looks, however, like they would have to add energy to be able to extract the oxygen since apparently they could not do that with sunlight. Would this throw a wrench in the whole process?

Paul, Gasoline and Diesel which we use for fuel is only a small part of what Crude Oil is used for. Plastic is made from oil as well as a lot of other things like the tires on your car.

An efficient and cheap way to manufacture and distribute hydrogen for motor fuel would be good but it would be years before it was distributed widely enough to be a major fuel. Let the research continue we "aint thar yet" but we are getting there.

Yes, these microprocessors can only store a small amount of hydrogen and some heating is needed to extract the hydrogen, which will require some energy. It seems well possible to generate such energy by light as well and integrate all this. Therefore, I see a bright future for these kind of microprocessors, to power all sorts of small and portable devices. Anyway, it's an exciting development that could further advance hydrogen as a technology with much potential for numerous practical applications. Let's follow such developments and keep everyone informed.

The links that Steve recently gave on portable fuel cell developments are also very interesting in this regard:

http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/115-1/innovations.html

http://www.thegadgetblog.com/2006/06/27/horizon-100w-portable-fuel-cell-hydrogen-genset/
(if broken, you may need to reconnect the lines of this link for it to work)

http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=11695

Larry: "If the semiconductor stores the hydrogen and oxygen that implies that it quickly stops working since there must be a limit to how much a pound of semiconductor can store."

I'm not familiar with this technology, so I'm not sure why this would be the case.

Sam: "It seems well possible to generate such energy by light as well and integrate all this."

I keep coming across new technologies and chemical compounds that "mimic photosynthesis" in producing energy. I'm not sure all produce hydrogen.

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=47976

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=11821

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48187

At any rate, hydrogen production isn't a problem as long as you can generate an electric charge, and efficiency of the conversion process wouldn't seem to be much of a problem, since solar energy is extremely abundant.

I know very little about this so I find it fascinating. Also, thank you for starting that new health care group. I'd love to know more about submitting to it. Is it up and running yet? Usually, groups go through a brief transition period before they show up, with their own page.