Scientists split water molecules for green hydrogen using only solar energy
Green hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels known, and it has the capacity to decarbonize industries, power vehicles, and more for a sustainable future.
Scientists have now announced the development of a scalable next-generation device that can produce green hydrogen by splitting water molecules. The system completely relies on solar energy, doing away with the need for other fossil fuel or energy-dependent methods.
The development has been announced by scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, India. It is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
The method solely relies on solar energy and earth-abundant materials, without relying on fossil fuels or expensive resources.
The Indian research team has designed a silicon-based photoanode using an innovative n-i-p heterojunction architecture, consisting of stacked n-type TiO2, intrinsic (undoped) Si, and p-type NiO semiconductor layers, which work together to enhance charge separation and transport efficiency.
The materials were deposited using magnetron sputtering, a scalable and industry-ready technique that ensures precision and efficiency.
This approach allowed better light absorption, faster charge transport, and reduced recombination loss, key ingredients for efficient solar-to-hydrogen conversion, according to a release by the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology.
The Ministry said that the device achieved an excellent surface photovoltage of 600 mV and a low onset potential of around 0.11 VRHE, making it highly effective at generating hydrogen under solar energy.
It further showcased long-term stability, operating continuously for over 10 hours in alkaline conditions with only a 4 percent performance drop. The press release describes it as a rare feat in Si-based photoelectrochemical systems.
The new device promises high efficiency, low energy input, robust durability, and cost-effective materials.
Even at a bigger scale, the photoanode delivered excellent water-splitting results.
'By selecting smart materials and combining them into a heterostructure, we have created a device that not only boosts performance but can also be produced on a large scale,' said Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, the leader of the research team.
'This brings us one step closer to affordable, large-scale solar-to-hydrogen energy systems.'
The team states that with further development, the solar-powered technology could fuel hydrogen-based energy systems from homes to factories.
There have been several developments from across the world in the green hydrogen sector.
Automobile, energy companies have been trying to come up with better and more efficient ways to utilize green hydrogen to cut down greenhouse gas emissions, and also costs.
Further, there have been multiple research projects ongoing for better ways to make green hydrogen at scale.
Earlier this month, a research team from Hanyang University ERICA campus in South Korea had also announced a new type of technology for green hydrogen production.
The Korean team developed cobalt phosphides-based nanomaterials by adjusting boron doping and phosphorus content using metal-organic frameworks.
These materials had better performance and lower cost than conventional electrocatalysts, making them suitable for large-scale hydrogen production.
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