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“I’ve devoted a number of years to researching different ways we can use food waste for renewable energy systems,” said Raffaele Mezzenga, Professor of Food and Soft Materials at ETH Zurich. “Our latest development closes a cycle: we’re taking a substance that releases CO2 and toxic gases when burned and used it in a different setting: with our new technology it not only replaces toxic substances, but also prevents the release of CO2, decreasing the overall carbon footprint cycle.
“Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe – just unfortunately not on Earth,” Mezzenga said. Water splitting, also known as electrolysis, can generate hydrogen.Electrolysis is a chemical process that uses an electric current to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction. It involves the breaking down of a compound into its constituent elements or ions by passing an electric current through an electrolyte, which is a solution that conducts electricity.