Hydrogen fuel production from seawater gets closer due to new nanomaterial
August 4, 2021Using the sea to produce H2 offers an abundant and sustainable option, though challenges remain.
A new nanomaterial has made it possible for seawater to be used in hydrogen fuel production, opening up a new angle for sustainability in alternatives to fossil fuels.
Until the nanomaterial was developed harvesting H2 from seawater has been technically problematic.
Researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) have designed a nanoscale material that works in efficiently splitting seawater into oxygen and H2. This could play a role in making an abundantly available source of water into a sustainable component in hydrogen fuel production. This helps to overcome the primary barrier to using this vast option for H2 production, as harvesting it has presented a substantial technical challenge.
The researchers were the first to design this material, which as shown itself to be an efficient part of seawater electrolysis. It is both stable and long-lasting in catalyzing the reaction and was described in the July issue of the Advanced Materials journal.
This nanomaterial could be a gamechanger in using seawater for hydrogen fuel production.
“This development will open a new window for efficiently producing clean hydrogen fuel from seawater,” said study co-author and associate professor Yang Yang from the NanoScience Technology Center at UCF.
The thin-film material was developed using surface nanostructures made of nickel selenide, “doped” with iron and phosphor. By using this combination, the result is stability with high-performance at the levels required for industrial-scale electrolysis. The new nanomaterial overcomes many of the issues that have faced the use of seawater for H2 production, such as competing reactions and efficiency problems. The nanomaterial balances those competing reactions for high performance but with a low price tag.
“The seawater electrolysis performance achieved by the dual-doped film far surpasses those of the most recently reported, state-of-the-art electrolysis catalysts and meets the demanding requirements needed for practical application in the industries,” explained Yang while discussing the difference made by this nanomaterial.
The researchers were able to use their nanomaterial design to achieve high efficiency hydrogen fuel production with seawater, while keeping up long-term stability for over 200 hours.
SOUNDS GREAT FOR LOCAL ONSITE USE BUT H2 HAS STORAGE, TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS.
Wonder if there’s a possibility of harvesting hydrogen and chlorine together with sodium hydroxide.
Chlorine is used in many industrial processes and sodium hydroxide is exothermique with water which could result as a source of heat energy.
Sounds very promising with use of solid hydrogen for packing and delivery of this technology generated hydrogen can be effectively used to make hydrogen economy possible.
Can the minerals remaining be used if agricultural food production. Will the use of seawater compensate for the rising sea levels from ice melt?
Iron, nickel and phosphor are the essential planet forming elements of the Earth’s core. They and the Earths electromagnetic field have produced our oceans of saltwater and an atmosphere capable of sustaining life. Only fitting that a reverse process using electrolysis and these essential elements will soon extract hydrogen from ocean water. Hydrogen and sunlight will power our planet long after fossil fuels are depleted. This team of researchers should be commended for their work using these essential planet building elements correctly to produce hydrogen.
A space ship will soon visit the asteroid belt of our solar system to study a planet core made of iron, nickel and phosphor, these planet building essential elements. The science and knowledge of the aforementioned will soon be proven.
Electrolysis using these essential elements along with solar energy and grid scale saltwater batteries will be the solution that defeats climate warming. Hydrogen is the best option to replace fossil fuels.
Energy for the world.
Hopefully, these researchers will test their catalyst using a magnetic field and achieve similar results or better than the research team from India with their cobalt catalyst.