Researchers led by MIT professor Daniel Nocera have produced something they’re calling an “artificial leaf”: Like living leaves, the device can turn the energy of sunlight directly into a chemical fuel that can be stored and used later as an energy source.(http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/artificial-leaf-0930.html)
The 'artificial leaf,' a device that can harness sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen without needing any external connections,
is seen with some real leaves, which also convert the energy of sunlight directly into storable chemical form. Photo: Dominick Reuter