Better green hydrogen production with new material combination
The new material consists of three layers: a layer of cubic silicon carbide, a layer of cobalt oxide, and a catalyst that aids in water splitting (Photo: Olov Planthaber).
June 23, 2024 – The chemical reaction for producing hydrogen from water becomes significantly more efficient when a combination of new materials is used in three layers – at least, that’s what researchers at Linköping University claim.
They are developing materials that enable the production of hydrogen (H2) from water (H2O) using solar energy.
Hydrogen from water is a promising renewable energy source, especially when produced using sunlight.
When sunlight hits the material, it generates electric charges that are used to split water molecules. A major challenge in developing such materials is preventing the positive and negative charges from recombining and neutralizing each other.
In their study, the researchers show that by combining a layer of cubic silicon carbide with two other layers, the material – Ni(OH)2/Co3O4/3C-SiC – can better separate these charges, resulting in more efficient water splitting.
The research was published earlier this year in ACS under the title ‘Manipulating Electron Structure through Dual-Interface Engineering of 3C-SiC Photoanode for Enhanced Solar Water Splitting.”
