Researchers at the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) are studying a switch in biohydrogen molecules. The research could lead to producing large quantities of hydrogen cheaply through biological means such as algae.
According to Xinhua, “The findings are significant not only for basic research but also for the technical application of biological hydrogen conversion, scientists said. Knowledge of the molecular structure of hydrogenases paves the way for the synthesis of chemical model compounds to produce hydrogen, regarded as an alternative energy source, said TU Berlin.
“These biocatalysts called hydrogenases, which are not inactivated by the oxygen in the air, are of particular interest of the researchers. Due to their unusual property of oxygen compatibility, the molecular switch plays a key role. The switch refers to a cluster of iron and sulfur atoms, which can conduct or optionally store electrons.”
Now, I’ve talked about algae many times as a source for producing hydrogen cleanly and greenly. The Berlin studies are yet another worldwide step along this path.
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