6 may
Chemists from the University of Strathclyde have developed a photocatalyst based on a conjugated polymer loaded with iridium to produce "green" hydrogen from water under the influence of sunlight. The study was published in the journal of the German Chemical Society Angewandte Chemie, reports High-tech scientific portal.
Researchers from the University of Strathclyde have shown that the use of an iridium-based photocatalyst ensures the decomposition of water into oxygen and hydrogen under the influence of visible spectrum light. Scientists believe that in this way solar energy can be "environmentally friendly" converted into stored hydrogen fuel. "The photocatalyst can access solar energy through endergonic reactions to create a stored energy carrier in the form of hydrogen from water. Then hydrogen can be converted into electricity in a fuel cell in an environmentally friendly way, with the only by–product being water," says Sebastian Sprick, head of the study.
Chemists note that this is the first study that does not use sacrificial agents to produce hydrogen. Sacrificial agents are electron donors that reduce the tendency of electrons to recombine and accelerate the rate of hydrogen formation. The use of such elements helps to control the synthesis of hydrogen, however, according to the authors of the new work, they make the process energetically inefficient. The researchers believe that their work opens up a new direction for the development of hydrogen energy. As the authors note, until now, most hydrogen is still produced from natural gas, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions. An alternative mechanism for "converting" solar energy into hydrogen fuel will contribute to the development of independent and environmentally friendly energy.
Illustrative photo from open sources