Some scientists are trying to get plants, or biologieal cells that act like plants, to work as very small photosynthesis power stations. For example, Mafia Ghirardi of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. colod is working with green algae (水藻). Shes trying totrick them into producing hydrogen instead of sugars when they perform photosynthesis. Once the researchers can get the algae working efficiently, the hydrogen that they produce could be used to power fuel cells in cars or to generate electricity,
The algae are grown in narrow-necked glass bottles to produce hydrogen in the lab. During photosynthesis, plants normally make sugars or starches. But under certain conditions, a lot of algae are able to use the sunlight energy not to store starch, but to make hydrogen. Ghirardi says. For example, algae will produce hydrogen in an airfree environment. Its the oxygen in the air that prevents algae from making hydrogen most of the time.
Working in an airfree environment, however, is difficult. Its not a practical way to produce cheap energy. But Ghirardi and her colleagues have discovered that by removing a chemical called sulfate (硫酸盐) from the environment that the algae grow in, they will make hydrogen instead of sugars, even when air is present.
Unfortunately, removing the sulfate also makes the algaes cells work very slowly, and not much hydrogen is produced. Still, the researchers see this as a first step in their goal to produce hydrogen efficiently from algae. With more work, they may be able to speed the cells activity and produce larger quantities of hydrogen.
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