Hydrogen is a potential solution to our quest for sustainability. A new study has recently found a way to generate clean oxygen and hydrogen from water using a new electrocatalyst.
New Electrocatalyst To Synthesize Hydrogen From Water
In a new study, a team of material scientists from Dalian University of Technology in Dalian, China, created a novel electrocatalyst, or catalyst, that runs on electricity. They used low-cost materials and techniques to reduce the energy needed to produce pure H2 from water.
Crucially, the catalyst is bifunctional since the ferric-nickel silicide (FeNiSi) alloy, or combination, also lowers the energy needed to produce O2 from water.
Highly combustible, hydrogen has the potential to contribute to global efforts towards clean energy goals, provided it is produced in an environmentally sound manner. The main obstacle to producing hydrogen gas from water is the significant energy needed for electrolysis, which separates water molecules into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2).
Fossil fuels are the primary source of H2 produced today, contributing to global warming. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which produces H2 from water, needs a catalyst, an agent that reduces the energy required for a chemical reaction to be used. Previously, the stimuli consisted of rare earth elements such as platinum, which limited the economic viability and feasibility of producing clean hydrogen.
"What really limits the development and practical application of water electrolysis technology is electrocatalytic materials," according to Yifu Zhang, senior author of the study and researcher in the School of Chemistry at Dalian University of Technology.
Most common catalysts, including precious metals, only have one function these days, which restricts the usefulness of using water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. Thus, one of the main objectives of electrocatalysis is the study and development of effective, stable, affordable, and environmentally friendly bifunctional electrocatalytic materials, which was achieved in a recent experiment.
Green Hydrogen For Sustainability
Green hydrogen is a promising energy source that supports sustainability. Across the country, hydrogen-powered delivery vehicles, automobiles, and buses are currently undergoing testing. The Department of Energy has pledged to make hydrogen a financially viable energy option within the next ten years.
According to the Department of Energy (DOE) estimates, the United States produces 10 million metric tons of hydrogen annually. The nation also boasts more than 1,600 miles of hydrogen pipelines. Furthermore, the nation is home to numerous large-scale production facilities.
Per Molly Gilson, the National Grid's Director of Media Relations, hydrogen is a fuel that emits no carbon. Because it only emits water vapor, it is also environmentally safe.
Green hydrogen is becoming more and more popular as a clean energy source of the future. The Inflation Reduction Act was another factor in the acceptance of green hydrogen as a clean energy technology.
Given the money from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the tax credits included in the new law, it's certainly possible that hydrogen may soon surpass current energy sources.
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