Scientists found a method to generate electricity from the air
A breakthrough has been made by Chris Greening's lab where they have isolated an enzyme called Huc with ability to use even trace amount of hydrogen to convert into energy even in the presence of oxygen. Now the hydrogen can be used for energy production easily using ecological biochemical process of atmospheric H2 oxidation the can oxidize H2 in ambient air.
Nicola Tesla's dream of transferring electricity using the earth's atmosphere as a medium has been proved by transferring electricity wirelessly over 100 feet of distance. Also, harvesting the static charges present in the atmospheric air has been realised as an option for cleaner energy. However, latest breakthrough has been made by Chris Greening's lab where they have isolated an enzyme called Huc with ability to use even trace amount of hydrogen to convert into energy even in the presence of oxygen. Now the hydrogen can be used for energy production easily using ecological biochemical process of atmospheric H2 oxidation the can oxidize H2 in ambient air.
The research published uses Huc extracted from Mycobacterium smegmatis which can survive in nutrient deficient condition. Chris Greening earlier published about the survival of M. smegmatis by enhanced co-metabolism of atmospheric H2. Almost nine year later he successfully isolated the Huc enzyme responsible for atmospheric hydrogen gas molecule.
Hydrogen gas for clean and green energy
Hydrogen gas is seen as a potential solution to reducing carbon emissions as it can be used to power vehicles and generate electricity without producing any harmful emissions, only water and heat. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that use hydrogen gas to generate electricity without combustion.
Hydrogen gas is a clean and green source of energy that is being increasingly explored as a potential alternative to fossil fuels. It is abundant and can be produced from various sources including water, biomass, and natural gas.
Hydrogen gas is also highly versatile, it can be used as a fuel for vehicles, heating and cooling systems, electricity, hydrogen fuel cells, and a range of industrial processes.
The challenge with hydrogen energy is the cost-effective production, supply, infrastructure to manage its transportation, storage, and distribution. However, with advances in technology and scaling up, it is hoped that the cost of producing and utilizing the gas will decrease, making it a more viable option in the future.
What is the Huc Enzyme?
The Huc (hydrogenase uptake) enzyme is a type of hydrogenase enzyme found in certain bacteria and archaea. It plays an important role in the uptake of elemental hydrogen (H2) by cells and is a key component of the hydrogenase-based metabolism used by certain bacteria and archaea for energy production. This enzyme is oxygen-insensitive or shows oxygen tolerance that couples oxidation of atmospheric H2 to the hydrogenation of the respiratory electron carrier menaquinone.
Huc enzymes typically consist of several subunits, including a large catalytic subunit that contains the active site where H2 is oxidized, and smaller subunits that are involved in electron transfer and substrate binding. The enzyme is able to catalyze the reversible split of H2 into protons (H+) and electrons (e-), which can then be used by the cell for a variety of metabolic processes.
The Huc enzyme is of particular interest to scientists and engineers because it is highly efficient at catalyzing the uptake of hydrogen, making it a promising candidate for use in renewable energy technologies such as fuel cells and hydrogen production systems.
How energy production using H2 can be revolutionised using the Huc enzyme?
- Hydrogen gas can be produced from methane (~95%) via coal gasification, steam reforming, the steam methane reforming (SMR) process, and the pyrolysis of methane or from water by it's electrolysis. However, involvement of enzyme can extract hydrogen directly from the atmosphere. Though it may be a constraint but the production unit will not die due to scarcity of hydrogen as it is always present in the nature. Also, production of H2 consumes energy and involves multiple steps.
- Combination of hydrogen and oxygen atoms occur for the production of electricity in hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen across an electrochemical cell similar to that of a battery to produce electricity, water, and small amounts of heat. However enzyme based catalysis has no such side effects and presence of oxygen is neglected.
As Huc can be mass produced by different enzyme engineering methods involving fermentation technology and thus may prove beneficial to scale the proved concept for the welfare of human beings. Over the time we might witness energy production revolution as there are many technique have been verified and tested.
Initially the technology may sufficiently power small IoT devices as a better alternate for solar system as it can consume hydrogen from air to some biological chips.
What are the potential applications do you think of this immortal bio-battery?