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Issue: May 2009, page: 3
Dancing “adatoms” help chemists understand how water molecules split
Single oxygen atoms dancing on a metal oxide slab, glowing brighter here and dimmer there, have helped chemists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), based in Richland, Washington, USA, better understand how water splits into oxygen and hydrogen. The scientists made the discovery while trying to determine the basics of how titanium dioxide breaks down water. The current work will help to improve the understanding of the chemistry needed to generate hydrogen fuel from water or to clean contaminated water, say the researchers.
