Cell phones, laptops, and GPS devices may soon be powered by a new energy source: hydrogen.

A chemist at Michigan State University has been working with alkali metals for half a century. He developed an environmentally friendly process to harness the power of sodium silicide.

According to James Dye, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at MSU, "In our lab, we were able to produce alkali metal silicides, which basically are made from sodium and silicon, which, in turn, are produced from salt and sand.

By adding water to sodium silicide, we're able to produce hydrogen, which creates energy for fuel cells. The byproduct, sodium silicate, is also green. It's the same stuff found in toothpaste.�

Dye co-founded a company called SiGNa Chemistry Inc. to commercialize this and other green technologies. In this case, SiGNa's product is a hydrogen cartridge that provides energy to fuel cells designed to recharge electronic devices.

The only byproduct is evaporated water. The target market for the new power source consists of hikers, campers, and others who spend a lot of time outdoors. It could also be used in Third World countries to supply power for homes where electricity is either unavailable or too expensive.

Dye used a similar approach to develop a fuel source to power electric bicycles. The fuel cell, developed by SiGNa's partners, can propel a bicycle for roughly 100 miles at speeds as high as 25 miles per hour.