Chinese scientists, along with their international   counterparts, have developed a brand-new type of artificial leaf, a liquid metal-embraced photoactive film.

It harnesses solar energy to produce hydrogen through direct water splitting, paving the way for scalable production.

The research team led by Prof. Liu Gang from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently published their research in Nature Communications, an international academic journal.

The film, similar to a natural leaf, converts solar energy directly into a chemical fuel, holding great promise in direct solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion.