Solar hydrogen fuel has a new way

There are different methods of storing electrical energy, such as batteries or hydraulic pumps. Most of these methods cannot meet the necessary demands or store large amounts of electrical energy for long periods of time. However, there is one energy carrier that allows electrical energy to be stored and distributed in accordance with these requirements, and that is hydrogen.

Now, a new study tells us that solar energy can be converted cleanly into storable hydrogen fuel.

The research, led by the University of Strathclyde in the UK, shows that solar energy can be harvested and converted into hydrogen, a clean and renewable fuel.

To avoid the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be drastically reduced and access to the clean and accessible energy necessary to eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels.

Greenhouse gases are those that accumulate in Earth's atmosphere and absorb the sun's infrared energy. It creates the so-called greenhouse effect, which causes the earth's global temperature to rise.

The UK government plans to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen, a storable fuel.

Most hydrogen is still made from natural gas, which produces greenhouse gases, and we urgently need to produce green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is produced from water using a photocatalyst, a material that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

By green hydrogen, we mean a type of hydrogen that does not produce polluting emissions. It is seen as a key energy carrier for decarbonizing the planet and fulfilling the 2050 commitment to tackle climate change.

The study, published in the German Chemical Society's "Applied Chemistry" weekly, points out that the use of iridium-bearing photocatalysts under simulated sunlight aids in the splitting of water.

When used in fuel cells, hydrogen emits no greenhouse gases when used, and can help decarbonize industries such as shipping and transportation, as well as manufacturing, that need the fuel.

Lead researcher Dr Sebastian Sprick from the University of Strathclyde said: "There are abundant renewable energy resources (in the form of solar energy) to meet the sustainable energy challenge, and the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface is 8,000 times the energy the global society needs every year.”

The so-called photocatalyst refers to a reaction that combines photochemistry and catalysis. That is, both elements, light and catalysts, are necessary to effect or speed up chemical reactions.

"This is an important step forward for us, as previous systems relied on the use of so-called 'sacrificial reagents' to drive reactions," the study noted. "Sacrificial reagents are electron donors that reduce the tendency for electrons to recombine and speed up The rate at which hydrogen is produced. Now, the researchers have turned this process into a 'negative energy' process."

"Photocatalysts (polymers) are of great interest because their properties can be tuned by synthetic methods, allowing for simple and systematic optimization of the structure in the future and further optimization of the activity."

Another potential advantage is that polymers can be printed, the researchers said. This can be scaled using cost-effective printing technologies, just like newspaper printing.

"It's also important for the large-scale production of hydrogen to effectively combat climate change," Splick said.