Step forward in generating solar-powered hydrogen

In a new international research collaboration led by Flinders University with collaborators from South Australia, the United States and Germany, experts have discovered a new solar cell process that could potentially be used to photocatalyze water in future green hydrogen production. Decomposition technology.

Combined with the water splitting catalyst developed by US research led by Professor Paul Maggard, the study found that new kinetically stable “core-shell Sn(II)-perovskite” oxide solar materials may become potential catalysts for the future production of pollution-free hydrogen energy. The key oxygen evolution reaction.

The results were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Physical Chemistry Cpaving the way for further advances in carbon-free “green” hydrogen technology using electricity that does not emit greenhouse gases and high-performance, affordable electrolysis technology.

Lead author Professor Gunther Andersson from the Flinders Institute for Nanoscience and Technology in the School of Science and Engineering said: “This latest research is an important step forward in understanding how these tin compounds are stable and effective in water.”

Professor Paul Maggard of Baylor University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry added: “The material we report points to a novel chemical strategy for absorbing the broad energy range of sunlight and using it to drive fuel production on its surface. reaction.

These tin and oxygen compounds have been used in a variety of applications, including catalysis, diagnostic imaging, and therapeutic drugs. However, Sn(II) compounds react with water and molecular oxygen, which limits their technical applications.

Solar photovoltaic research around the world is focused on developing cost-effective, high-performance perovskite power generation systems as alternatives to conventional existing silicon and other panels.

Low-emission hydrogen can be produced from water via electrolysis (when an electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen) or thermochemical water splitting, a process that can also be powered by concentrated solar power or waste heat from nuclear reactors.

Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources, including fossil fuels such as natural gas and biomass, but hydrogen’s environmental impact and energy efficiency depend on how it is produced.

Solar-powered processes use light as a medium for hydrogen production and are a potential alternative for producing hydrogen on an industrial scale.

The new research builds on earlier work led by Professor Paul Maggard, now in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Baylor University in Texas and previously at North Carolina State University .

New article from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Journal of Physical Chemistry C The feature is presented by experts from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide, including co-author Professor of Chemistry Greg Metha (who is also involved in the exploration of the photocatalytic activity of metal clusters on oxide surfaces in reactor technology) and Mings, Germany University research.