Hydrogen is becoming a more and more prominent resource in the global landscape of energy transition. It is an extremely versatile source of energy, and it can be used as fuel for transportation, feedstock for industries like steel and ammonia, or as a storage medium for renewable energy. When produced sustainably, hydrogen offers a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
A recent study, published in Nature Energy, has unveiled a new advancement in the field of hydrogen production, specifically through a process called water splitting. Water splitting involves breaking down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. When this process is acheived without the use of fossil fuels, the result is what is known as green hydrogen.
The new way to split water molecules includes special crystals with unique “chiral” structures. These structures have a distinctive left or right-handed atomic arrangement which have been helping scientists behind the research to improve the process.
The crystals are composed of rhodium and elements like silicon, tin, and bismuth. These components can manipulate electron spin, which allows electrons transfer to the oxygen generation in a highly efficient manner, significantly accelerating the overall chemical reaction. This new catalyst could make hydrogen production faster, more efficient, and more economically feasible.
“These crystals are essentially quantum machines. By leveraging the unique spin properties of electrons, we’ve created a catalyst that outperforms traditional materials by a factor of 200,” said Dr. Xia Wang, lead researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids.
The results of this research come at a time when water splitting is a process held back by the slow oxygen evolution reaction (OER). It involves a series of electron transfer steps that are really slow. This makes water splitting a very slow and not cost-effective operation.
Chiral catalysis outperforms other materials because they are more robust and maintain high performance even under demanding conditions. According to the study, the materials remain stable after prolonged use, maintaining their structural and functional integrity. The findings could speed up the creation of affordable and effective catalysts for water splitting, lowering the need for expensive materials like platinum, while also boosting efficiency and durability.
The scientific team gathered scholars from the Max Planck Institute and the Weizmann Institute of Science. They took a deep dive into this topic not only out of curiosity but also because of the potential for improvements in the renewable energy technology.
