Embedded deep within the green structure of plants is perhaps the greatest invention audacious nature ever came up with. Nature is full of wonderful inventions. Who can argue with the brilliance of inventions as wonderful and diverse as wings, eyes, brains, consciousness, er...women, sex, muscles, the orgasm, DNA replication, photosynthesis. But there is another invention that is not as well known as the above. Probably because it is more subtle and it does its magic with little fanfare. I am of course (!) referring to the 'Oxygen Evolving Complex' or OEC for short. This is a little cluster of molecules that sits at the beginning of the plant photosynthetic machinery. It basically looks like a circular cusp with an open end and a Manganese atom in the middle. What makes this structure special is that it has the singular ability; unique to all life and chemical processes on earth, of taking ordinary dull unresponsive water, and splitting it into the very reactive oxygen and hydrogen gases; using nothing but energy from sunlight. Now I know what you are thinking. Why am I harking on about this? Why am I even deigning to mention this? What place does something so obviously geekish have in a cool blog such as this? Have I gone mad?! Do I harbor a secret masochistic desire to destroy my carefully cultivated cool and funky persona? Well, I appreciate your concern and I also appreciate your comments but just bare with me here.
You see the thing is water is very stable. Water exists on earth in 3 physical states: liquid water, steam and ice - and it exists everywhere and most importantly of all, it is almost impossible to split water into its components (hydrogen and oxygen) without using a lot of energy. Try heating up a pan of water and what happens? Answer: it turns to steam. Try heating up some ice and what happens: it turns to liquid water. Try cooling steam and what happens? It condenses to liquid water. See - it's almost impossible to split it up!
You can however split water into its components in the lab by passing an electric current through it. You'll end up with oxygen gas at the positive electrode and hydrogen at the negative electrode. Plants however are smarter. Oh yes. They may not look it but green plants are really really smart! They have evolved over millions of years the oxygen evolving complex - that structure I mentioned earlier on, that allows them to remove electrons from water using energy from sunlight - and by removing electrons from water - you end up splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The amazing thing is that the energy they need to do this is minimal - a single photon of light per water molecule!
If we humans can imitate this process. If we humans can learn how plants do it, and then copy it. If we can set up on a massive factory scale this water splitting process. If we can take normal stable abundant nonreactive water - and pass it through our factory at one end - and then at the other end - end up with hydrogen and oxygen gases - all from using energy from sunlight - do you know what we will have done?
Do you?
Caused a world revolution! We'd only have gone and solved our energy crisis! And with this a major chunk of the current contemporary conflicts raging around the world. Yes! I kid you not. Free abundant energy for all in the guise of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas released can power our energy greedy lives. And the best bit is - there won't be any nasty by products either - only water! You see burning hydrogen with oxygen to release energy will form water again! All this powered by abundant free sunlight.
They say there is no such thing as a free lunch.
I always thought the universe and life were free lunches - and now to add to this list - the oxygen evolving complex.
Smart or what?
Can we do it? Can humanity work together and do it?
Smart or what?
Can we do it? Can humanity work together and do it?
