Hydrogen can play a key role in the transition to clean energy because when it is used as a fuel, it only produces water as a byproduct. Hydrogen is already produced in industrial quantities, but it is primarily made with methods that use fossil fuels like natural gas. But instead of extracting hydrogen from hydrocarbons, it can be obtained by splitting water into its constituent elements.
One green technology to produce hydrogen is photocatalysis, which uses catalysts and light – typically sunlight – to split water apart. The challenge is to be able to utilize photocatalysis on a large enough scale and in an environmentally friendly way.
The most efficient approach for photocatalytic hydrogen production makes use of platinum as a co-catalyst, which significantly boosts the efficiency of the process. But the Earth’s reserves of platinum are limited, and platinum mining involves risks both to the environment and human health.
A new study by Chalmers University in Sweden has demonstrated a method for producing hydrogen gas efficiently using sunlight and no platinum. The technique uses a specially developed electrically conductive plastic. Nanoparticles in the plastic enhance interactions with water and boost the light-to-hydrogen process.
The process uses vitamin C, which serves as a so-called sacrificial antioxidant. The researchers have a goal to eliminate even this additive and be able to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight and water. They believe it may take a few years, but they say they are on the right track for a better way to produce hydrogen.
