Real-time oxygen measurements expose hidden losses in solar water splitting

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Researchers at Imperial College London developed a technique to measure oxygen production in real time during solar water splitting. Tests with hematite showed that electrical current can overstate actual oxygen generation, exposing a previously unrecognized efficiency loss in the process.

A new technique developed at Imperial College London measures oxygen production in real time, revealing hidden losses in solar water splitting. The researchers found that electrical current did not always correspond to oxygen generation in hematite, one of the most widely studied materials in the field, revealing a previously unknown limitation in the reaction.