Turning the ocean into fuel
Stanford researchers have developed a method to turn ocean water into hydrogen fuel, using electrodes to separate oxygen and hydrogen. Previous attempts at using saltwater to make hydrogen fuel have failed, partly because the process attracts chloride, which decays the electrodes. The researchers used a special coating that allows the electrodes to slow down decay. Hydrogen fuel cells can store more energy than batteries and its use would eliminate tailpipe pollution in cars. And such fuel could let ships power themselves with the water they traverse.