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aerohead -

Originally Posted by aerohead

PBS Television,either NOVA or Scientific American Frontiers did a short piece on a Dr.Nocera ( I believe is his name ) at MIT,who is conducting electrolytic hydrogen research.
He is using a two component catalyst( cobalt is one ) and achieving a 2X improvement in production.
Perhaps you can GOOGLE PBS.ORG and find the show using their search engine there.
Sorry I can't be more specific.I no longer have TV recording capability.

He's an interesting fellow :

MIT Chemistry: Daniel G. Nocera

The Nocera group focuses on basic mechanisms of energy conversion in biology and chemistry. A signature of the program is the ability to make and measure. The group is well versed in synthetic methodologies of inorganic, organometallic, organic, materials and biological chemistry.

Dr. Daniel Nocera

Dr. Daniel Nocera is the W. M. Keck Professor of Energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Widely recognized as a leading researcher in renewable energy at the molecular level, Daniel studies the basic mechanisms of energy conversion in biology and chemistry with primary focus on the photo-generation of hydrogen and oxygen from water. His research in energy conversion has been featured on the nationally broadcast television programs—“ABC Nightline” and "NOVA” on PBS—and on National Public Radio. He developed the pilot that was used to begin the new PBS science program “ScienceNow,” and his “NOVA” show was nominated for a 2006 Emmy Award. Daniel has been awarded the Italgas Prize (2005), the IAPS Award (2006) and the Burghausen Prize (2007) for his studies on renewable energy.

AF Funding Enables Artificial Photosynthesis - 10/6/2008

The news media has paid a great deal of attention to Daniel Nocera's breakthrough research in artificial photosynthesis, and with good reason. This technology has the potential to power an entire building for one day using only a few gallons of water and light energy from the sun.

...

After ruling out several lower energy options, Dr. Nocera's team chose to pursue photosynthesis, which naturally stores energy when splitting the bonds of water to produce oxygen and nature's chemical equivalent of hydrogen, NADPH. Using this model, he sought to develop an artificial photosynthesis that split water molecules into oxygen and molecular hydrogen (rather than NADPH) without the costs and harsh conditions that accompany existing commercial electrolyzers.

...

Using cobalt as a catalyst and phosphate as a proton acceptor, Dr. Nocera is able to demonstrate a method for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules under environmentally friendly conditions. ...

CarloSW2