Solar fuels: A refined protective layer for the 'artificial leaf'

A team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has developed a process for providing sensitive semiconductors for solar water splitting ('artificial leaves') with an organic, transparent protective layer. The extremely thin protective layer made of carbon chains is stable, conductive, and covered with catalyzing nanoparticles of metal oxides. These accelerate the splitting of water when irradiated by light.