Researchers from the Ulsan University of Science and Technology (UNIST) have created an innovative 'artificial leaf' that harnesses indoor lighting to generate hydrogen. Led by Professor Jang Ji-hyun's team from the Department of Energy Chemical Engineering, this artificial leaf mimics the role of chlorophyll in plants by using a photosensitive electrode to convert energy. Typically, plant chlorophyll utilizes sunlight to create nutrients; this new technology instead harnesses weaker indoor LED lighting to produce hydrogen more consistently regardless of weather conditions.

The core of the artificial leaf's functionality lies in a photosensitive compound made from cadmium sulfide (CdS), which effectively absorbs indoor lighting. The generated energy creates charged particles that are transmitted through a titanium oxide (TiO₂) layer to a hydrogen production catalyst layer made from 3D nickel. This innovative design produced an impressive 119-120 microamperes (µA/cm²) of photocurrent without the use of external voltage, maintaining 94% of its initial performance after 12 hours—comparable to systems that employ expensive platinum catalysts.

Professor Jang emphasized that generating hydrogen from indoor lighting presents a promising solution since it is not weather-dependent like sunlight. The research highlights the potential of utilizing wasted indoor light for hydrogen production and indicates plans for future improvements in hydrogen separation and retrieval technology. This work is supported by projects from the 'Microplastic Response Chemical-Bio Convergence Research Center' and has been submitted for publication in the journal 'Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and Energy.'