Catalyst research at Oregon State University (OSU) has shown that hydrogen may be created significantly more effectively and cleanly.
The findings, which were reported in Science Advances and JACS Au, suggest that hydrogen might be produced at a lower cost than is now attainable with commercially available catalysts.
A catalyst is a material that speeds up a chemical reaction without changing its chemical properties permanently. The discoveries are noteworthy now because hydrogen generation “is vital for many areas of our existence, such as fuel cells for automobiles and the creation of numerous valuable compounds like ammonia,” according to Zhenxing Feng, an OSU professor of chemical engineering who led the study.
According to Feng, hydrogen is “also employed in the refinement of metals, the manufacture of artificial materials such as plastics, and a variety of other applications.” According to the professor, splitting water to produce hydrogen using an electrochemical catalytic process is cleaner and more sustainable than the traditional technique of obtaining hydrogen from natural gas – which involves a known carbon dioxide generation process. as a result of methane vapor reform
“Catalysts frequently suffer structural alterations as a result of enhancing reaction processes,” Feng explained. The modifications can be reversible or irreversible, and irreversible restructuring is thought to diminish catalyst stability, resulting in a loss of catalytic activity and a reduction in reaction efficiency.
According to the professor, the investigation discovered at least two sets of materials that were experiencing irreversible modifications and turned out to be substantially superior hydrogen catalysts. “This will enable us to create hydrogen at a cost of $2 per kilogram, and eventually at a cost of $1 per kilogram.” This is less expensive than the existing procedure in polluting sectors, and it will assist the United States meet its objective of zero emissions by 2030.”
In June, the US Department of Energy (DOE) introduced Energy Earthshots, a program aimed at accelerating clean energy technology invention, research, and implementation at scale. Production of clean hydrogen at US$ 2 per kilo by 2025, and at US$ 1 per kilo by 2030, is one of the set criteria.
Feng’s group is working on a water electrolysis technique for producing clean hydrogen that uses power from renewable sources to split water and generate clean hydrogen. The efficiency of water division, on the other hand, is low, according to the professor. The oxygen evolution reaction (REO), a major half-reaction in the process, has a large overpotential (the difference between the actual potential and the theoretical potential of an electrochemical reaction).
Feng believes that now that the discoveries are known, it will be easier to control the atoms on the surface to create catalysts with the right structure and composition. “Catalysts are critical for promoting the water division reaction, which reduces surplus potential and, as a result, lowers the total cost of hydrogen generation,” adds the professor.
