From ScienceDaily · · 1m 10s
New Hydrogen Production Method
Scientists create light-powered material to make hydrogen from water without expensive metals.
In brief
Scientists create light-powered material to make hydrogen from water without expensive metals. Oregon State University researchers developed a sulfur-based material that produces hydrogen from water using light, avoiding costly metal catalysts. Originally reported by ScienceDaily.
New Light-Powered Hydrogen Material
Scientists developed a light-activated material that produces hydrogen from water without requiring expensive metal catalysts.
“The organic component does the important work”
Sulfur-Based Chemistry Advantage
The material uses sulfur-containing organic building blocks to capture light energy and move electrons for hydrogen production.
“Instead of relying primarily on the metal atoms, our material uses its sulfur-containing organic building blocks to capture light energy and move electrons where they are needed to produce hydrogen”
No Additional Metal Catalyst Needed
BVR-19 forms spontaneously in aqueous solutions at room temperature, lowering energy requirements for production.
“This could make future light-driven hydrogen-production systems simpler to design”
Cost Comparison
Methane-steam reforming costs $1.50 per kilogram while green hydrogen costs about $5 per kilogram.
“At present, hydrogen produced through methane-steam reforming costs about $1.50 per kilogram, while green hydrogen costs roughly $5 per kilogram”
New Design Rules for Hydrogen
Researchers discovered how changing the metal in MOFs affects hydrogen production efficiency without needing additional catalysts.
“By changing the metal while keeping the rest of the material essentially the same, we discovered why some versions of the MOF work much better than others”
Research Team and Support
Oregon State University's Materials Discovery Laboratory led the research with support from the Murdock Charitable Trust and National Science Foundation.
“The Murdock Charitable Trust, the National Science Foundation and the OSU College of Science supported the study”
Publication and Impact
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions through cleaner hydrogen production.
“The findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could provide researchers with another tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change”
The short version
Oregon State University researchers developed a sulfur-based material that produces hydrogen from water using light, avoiding costly metal catalysts.
