Am I missing something?

[theholycow]

http://www.physorg.com/news187031401.html

With one bottle of drinking water and four hours of sunlight, MIT chemist Dan Nocera claims that he can produce 30 KWh of electricity {...}

Using the electricity generated from a 30-square-meter photovoltaic array, Nocera’s cobalt-phosphate catalyst converts water and carbon dioxide into hydrogen and oxygen. The process is similar to organic photosynthesis, except that in nature, plants create energy in the form of sugars instead of hydrogen.
{...}
“Where Sun Catalytix is headed is that your house would become its own power station and gas station,” he said in the video. “All of a sudden, you don’t need any more energy from anybody else because you’re using the sun at your house.”

Is this being needlessly complicated by the talk of solar and photosynthesis? Wouldn't it make sense to just say a new catalyst has been discovered for a new method of electrolysis? Why do they imply that a couple PV panels on your roof will provide all the energy you need for your house and car?

[Jay2TheRescue]

Just wait till the HHO guys get a hold of that catalyst...

[GasSavers_Pete]

Probably to get as much general attention in the popular media as they can.

The idea being more people are likely to want to know about producing their own power and gas than they will the numbers wanting to know about improvements in splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Possibly trying to get some extra funding or potential investors as well.

Pete.

[trollbait]

Nocera’s cobalt-phosphate catalyst converts water and carbon dioxide into hydrogen and oxygen. The process is similar to organic photosynthesis, except that in nature, plants create energy in the form of sugars instead of hydrogen.

I want to know where the carbon goes.

[theholycow]

Good catch.

It would be cool if it produced hydrocarbons that could be captured and turned into fuel.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Other than them saying it takes water & CO2, I don't see how this works. If you are creating hydrogen by electrolysis then all you need is water & electricity. A catalyst in the water if you want to speed the reaction up. Chemically speaking, where does the CO2 fit in? I think they just threw that in to get media attention.