A research paper from MIT details a groundbreaking discovery where caffeine, specifically the compound imidazole found in it, can expedite the reaction of aluminum with seawater to produce hydrogen. This innovation is crucial for engineers working on clean energy solutions for waterborne vessels. By dropping aluminum pellets treated with a gallium-indium alloy into filtered seawater, researchers found that the ionic solution allowed the alloy to be collected and reused. The addition of imidazole from caffeine drastically reduced the reaction time from two hours to just five minutes. This technological advancement opens the door for marine vessels to potentially carry aluminum as fuel, with hydrogen being generated efficiently on demand. Additionally, a startup named Found Energy, established by one of the paper's co-authors, is already using scrap aluminum in a reactor to produce both heat and hydrogen, offering a sustainable alternative for heavy industry decarbonization or residential energy needs. The study emphasizes the importance of leveraging innovative approaches, such as using caffeine to accelerate reactions, in the pursuit of environmentally friendly energy solutions.