c/hydrogen · by Hypx@piefed.social · 35d

Scientists built a solar reactor that eats plastic bottles and burps out clean hydrogen . . .at scale.

https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/07/scientists-built-a-solar-reactor-that-eats-plastic-bottles-and-burps-out-clean-hydrogen-at-scale/

A Cambridge University team made the device with simple materials using a paint sprayer—offering a possible dual fix for plastic pollution and dirty hydrogen production

59 points · 5 comments · view on lemmy.world

5 Comments

tagoth@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 35d (4 replies)

Impressive, very nice. Now show us what happens to the carbon.

threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 35d (2 replies)

show us what happens to the carbon

It's right there in the abstract of the paper: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-026-00406-y

The resulting sheets enable photoreforming of cellulose- and polyethylene terephthalate-derived feedstocks, producing H2 alongside value-added organics such as formate, acetate, glycolate and glycolaldehyde dimer.

The carbon is oxidized, but not all the way to CO2.

tagoth@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 35d (1 reply)

Thank you! I did not see it in the article

threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 35d

You're welcome! The news article didn't mention what happens to the carbon, hence why I had to go to the original paper to find the answer :)

Elting@piefed.social · 5 pts · 35d