Scientists have discovered an enzyme in soil bacteria that can consume traces of hydrogen in the air and turn it into electricity.
The enzyme, called Huc, can directly produce an electric current even when exposed to minute amounts of hydrogen, making it a potential power source for small, sustainable air-powered devices in the future.
Hydrogen makes up only a small percentage of the atmosphere, and consuming it at these low concentrations is a significant challenge. However, the enzyme has shown the ability to consume hydrogen at concentrations far lower than the tiny traces in the air, and it is entirely uninhibited by oxygen.
The researchers used advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to determine Huc’s atomic structure and electrical pathways, producing the most highly resolved enzyme structure yet reported by this method. While the production of Huc needs to be scaled up significantly, the enzyme has the potential to function like a natural battery, producing a sustained electrical current from the air or added hydrogen.
This discovery has considerable potential in developing small, sustainable air-powered devices as an alternative to solar power.