Photocatalytic Optical Fibers Convert Water Into Solar Fuel
University of Southampton / April 3, 2020 / Phys.orgResearchers at the University of Southampton have transformed optical fibers into photocatalytic microreactors that convert water into hydrogen fuel using solar energy.
Sounds so much like a freshman Liberal Arts grant application.
But:
The ground-breaking technology coats the inside of microstructured optical fiber canes (MOFCs) with a photocatalyst which—with light—generates hydrogen that could power a wide range of sustainable applications.
Chemists, physicists and engineers at Southampton have published their proof of concept in ACS Photonics and will now establish wider studies that demonstrate the scalability of the platform.
… there is real science! behind it.
Since this is a PG site, I won’t speculate on what “MOFC” originally meant.
Dr. Matthew Potter,
— the meanest man in Pottersville —
Chemistry Research Fellow and lead author, says: “Being able to combine light-activated chemical processes with the excellent light propagation properties of optical fibers has huge potential.” …
The scientists coat the fibers with titanium oxide, decorated with palladium nanoparticles. This approach allows the coated canes to simultaneously serve as both host and catalyst for the continuous indirect water splitting, with methanol as a sacrificial reagent.
My advice to you is to invest heavily in producing methanol.

Just as long as it doesn’t cut into the ethanol supply.
Science!