"Solar paint" instantly turns walls into energy manufacturing plants.

Scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a new
coating
containing thorium sulfide and titanium oxide. When applied to the wall, the coating absorbs moisture from the air and uses solar energy to break down water molecules to provide clean hydrogen fuel.
clean hydrogen energy
hydrogen is one of the cleanest energy sources, after combustion only produce water, does not produce harmful by-products. As a result of population growth in contemporary cities and the increase in emissions of various gases, smog has become a major threat to the environmental quality of large cities. Hydrogen fuel, on the other hand, avoids this problem altogether. If renewable energy is used in the production of hydrogen, greenhouse gases can also be reduced. In view of this, hydrogen cars and buses have emerged in some parts of the world, replacing conventional gasoline cars.
scientists invented the "solar coating" to use renewable solar energy to produce clean hydrogen fuel. It is unique from two key components: thorium sulfide and titanium oxide. The former absorbs water and catalyzes water decomposition, while the latter absorbs solar energy, providing the energy needed for water decomposition.
the world's first hydrogen-fueled passenger train to
in Germany next year
solar coatings
"solar coatings" using a new material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, to absorb water. In addition, thorium sulfide is a semiconductor that can catalyze water decomposition.Dr. Torben Daeneke, head of research at
, explains that titanium oxide is a common white pigment in wall paint. When thorium sulfide is mixed with titanium oxide, a "solar coating" can be obtained - absorbing water from the air, using solar energy, and breaking down water to obtain hydrogen fuel.
means that by simply adding thorium sulfide, ordinary walls can be turned into environmentally friendly resources that collect and produce energy.
evaluation and prospects are
. According to Dr Daeneke, this "solar coating" has many advantages, such as the need for the system itself to absorb water from the air without the need to artificially add water or distilled water. No matter where you are, or even away from the water source, as long as there is water vapor in the air, "solar paint" can function properly.
, in addition to wet weather, "solar paint" absorbs the evaporated water from nearby water, producing hydrogen, even in dry, hot weather near the ocean.Dr.
, says it will take about five years to commercialize the "solar coating" and its production costs should not be high. The team hopes that "solar coatings" will later work side by side with conventional solar cells, especially where light is not enough to support them.