(Press-News.org) Menlo Park, Calif. — Scientists have engineered a cheap, abundant alternative to the expensive platinum catalyst and coupled it with a light-absorbing electrode to make hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water.
The discovery is an important development in the worldwide effort to mimic the way plants make fuel from sunlight, a key step in creating a green energy economy. It was reported last week in Nature Materials by theorist Jens Nørskov of the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University and a team of colleagues led by Ib Chorkendorff and Søren Dahl at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
Hydrogen is an energy dense and clean fuel, which upon combustion releases only water. Today, most hydrogen is produced from natural gas which results in large CO2-emissions. An alternative, clean method is to make hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water. The process is called photo-electrochemical, or PEC, water splitting. When sun hits the PEC cell, the solar energy is absorbed and used for splitting water molecules into its components, hydrogen and oxygen.
Progress has so far been limited in part by a lack of cheap catalysts that can speed up the generation of hydrogen and oxygen. A vital part of the American-Danish effort was combining theory and advanced computation with synthesis and testing to accelerate the process of identifying new catalysts. This is a new development in a field that has historically relied on trial and error. "If we can find new ways of rationally designing catalysts, we can speed up the development of new catalytic materials enormously," Nørskov said.
The team first tackled the hydrogen half of the problem. The DTU researchers created a device to harvest the energy from part of the solar spectrum and used it to power the conversion of single hydrogen ions into hydrogen gas. However, the process requires a catalyst to facilitate the reaction. Platinum is already known as an efficient catalyst, but platinum is too rare and too expensive for widespread use. So the collaborators turned to nature for inspiration.
They investigated hydrogen producing enzymes—natural catalysts—from certain organisms, using a theoretical approach Nørskov's group has been developing to describe catalyst behavior. "We did the calculations," Nørskov explained, "and found out why these enzymes work as well as they do." These studies led them to related compounds, which eventually took them to molybdenum sulfide. "Molybdenum is an inexpensive solution" for catalyzing hydrogen production, Chorkendorff said.
The team also optimized parts of the device, introducing a "chemical solar cell" designed to capture as much solar energy as possible. The experimental researchers at DTU designed light absorbers that consist of silicon arranged in closely packed pillars, and dotted the pillars with tiny clusters of the molybdenum sulfide. When they exposed the pillars to light, hydrogen gas bubbled up—as quickly as if they'd used costly platinum.
The hydrogen gas-generating device is only half of a full photo-electrochemical cell. The other half of the PEC would generate oxygen gas from the water; though hydrogen gas is the goal, without the simultaneous generation of oxygen, the whole PEC cell shuts down. Many groups—including Chorkendorff, Dahl and Nørskov and their colleagues—are working on finding catalysts and sunlight absorbers to do this well. "This is the most difficult half of the problem, and we are attacking this in the same way as we attacked the hydrogen side," Dahl said.
Nørskov looks forward to solving that problem as well. "A sustainable energy choice that no one can afford is not sustainable at all," he said. "I hope this approach will enable us to choose a truly sustainable fuel."
INFORMATION:
SLAC is a multi-program laboratory exploring frontier questions in photon science, astrophysics, particle physics and accelerator research. Located in Menlo Park, California, SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.
SUNCAT is a DOE Office of Science-sponsored research center at SLAC in partnership with the Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, to explore catalytic processes for energy conversion and efficiency.
The Technical University of Denmark, DTU is a technical university in northern Europe. The research focus is on technical and natural sciences such as catalysis, photonics, wind energy, biotechnology and telecommunication.
The Center for Individual Nanoparticle Functionality, CINF, is funded by the Danish National Research foundation and is focusing on nanoparticle functionality in conjunction with energy harvesting, conversion and production.
Catalysis for Sustainable Energy, CASE, is a cross disciplinary initiative funded by the Danish Ministry of Science. The goal is to develop rules of catalyst design and use these rules to design cheap, efficient and stable catalysts for converting solar energy into fuels.
Hydrogen fuel tech gets boost from low-cost, efficient catalyst
2011-05-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
OptionsU Forex Trader Announces Release of Forex Trader Pro 2.0
2011-05-02
OptionsU Forex Trader (OUFX) announced the release of the next version of the popular Forex trading software: Forex Trader Pro 2.0. Designed to maximize trades and increase profits on every trade, Forex Trader Pro 2.0 is sure to be invaluable to both new and current Forex traders. To learn more, interested traders can reserve a seat for OUFX's free webinar on Thursday, May 5, 2011 by visiting http://forextraderpro.com/pr-fxtp2.
Forex Trader Pro 2.0 includes exciting new benefits, including access to the C4 Currency Trend Tracker software, which tracks currency rates ...
Study suggests that successful blueprints are recycled by evolution
2011-05-02
During the development of an embryo, a large number of different, specialised cell-types arise from the fertilised egg. The genetic information is identical in all cells of an organism. Different properties of cells arise because the activity of genes is controlled and regulated by so called transcription factors. By switching genes on or off, the body makes muscle cells, bone cells, liver cells and many more.
Scientists have been puzzling over the question whether the gene regulatory programs that control this development have been "invented" only once during evolution ...
In Times Of Crisis, People Turn To The Internet As A Means of Staying Up to date With the Latest Information
2011-05-02
When it comes to news, there are many different types of news available. There's fashion news, business news, consumer news, even technology related news. However, there's nothing like getting news from home. As such, each and every day millions of people scour the internet in search of local news and information. ARGYLEtv.com is a provider of internet tv channels from around the world, and is where thousands turn to in order to keep up to date with what is going on with their government, or to follow their favorite sports team.
Utilizing the internet to obtain information ...
Pelican Brands & Gemtree Vineyards of Australia Announce A Long Term Strategic Partnership -- Pelican Brands Appointed Exclusive US Importer Of Gemtree Vineyards' Award Winning McLaren Vale Wines
2011-05-02
Pelican Brands and Gemtree Vineyards jointly announced today the formation of a long-term strategic partnership for the U.S. market. Gemtree Vineyards is owned and run by third generation grape growers, the Buttery family. The family is dedicated to producing iconic wines of the highest quality from their McLaren Vale vineyards, which since 2008 have been farmed 100% biodynamically. Gemtree is currently sold in 19 states across the US. In April 2011, Gemtree White Lees Shiraz won "Best of Show Red Wine" at the WSWA (Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America) annual ...
U of I study: Before you start bone-building meds, try dietary calcium and supplements
2011-05-02
URBANA – Has a bone density scan placed you at risk for osteoporosis, leading your doctor to prescribe a widely advertised bone-building medication? Not so fast! A University of Illinois study finds that an effective first course of action is increasing dietary calcium and vitamin D or taking calcium and vitamin D supplements.
"For many people, prescription bone-building medicines should be a last resort," said Karen Chapman-Novakofski, a U of I professor of nutrition and co-author of a literature review published in a recent issue of Nutrients.
The study reported ...
ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours Recognized Nationally, Regionally For Commitment to Business Excellence
2011-05-01
ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours (http://www.experienceplus.com/) has been singled out both nationally and in its home state of Colorado for its commitment to business excellence, innovative tour itineraries and for its "great" tour guides.
National Geographic Traveler Magazine's annual "50 Tours of a Lifetime" feature (http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/tours/europe-tours-2011/) appearing in the May/June 2011 issue showcases the company's Bicycling the Danube tour of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.. This same issue will include a feature ...
Congratulations to da Vinci's Thawee Thanvithuyaphan
2011-05-01
Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok would like to congratulate Khun Thawee Thanvithuyaphan, restaurant manager of da Vinci Italian Resraurant, for completing level 2 of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust's exam. Khun Thawee proudly represented the Rembrandt Hotel as one its most outstanding and committed associates.
Forty representatives from hotels all over Thailand joined the training event and exam. The intensive training course took place from over the course of two days with over 20 hours of instruction and education. The course is aimed at broadening knowledge of wines ...
I-80 Equipment Forestry Trucks very Economical and Useful for Craftsman Industry
2011-05-01
Increase in the demand of the wood today has highly created a good fortune in the craftsman industry. People who are related to this industry are using the modern techniques and ways to ensure the maximum out come.
Increase in outcome and availability of modern technology to move the heavy logs out from the forest to different types of industries that utilize wood for different purposes such as paper industry or chip board factories has increased the demands of the raw wood to be transported quickly to them on demand.
For this reason many well known companies are ...
Health Industry Company GISPASA Automates its Business Processes with AuraPortal BPM Suite
2011-05-01
AuraPortal (www.auraportal.com), a global provider of Business Process Management (BPM), has announced today that the consulting firm PFS Grupo has implemented new core business procurement processes for hospital supplies and services at GISPASA (Health Infrastructure Management of Principado de Asturias).
The project's goal was to increase productivity, data quality and operational economy in the working procedures as well as the use and deployment of document management. The solution provides electronic signatures and digital filing for improved document organization ...
Franchise Management Expert Evan Hackel of Ingage Consulting is Keynote Speaker at Exciting Windows! National Conference
2011-05-01
A member of the International Franchise Association and New England Franchise Association, Hackel spoke to Exciting Windows! franchisees on the topic of ''Reaching Higher Together''. Hackel discussed what Exciting Windows! could accomplish if everyone worked together and focused on the company's vision.
"We've received more favorable feedback from Evan Hackel's 'Reaching Higher Together' presentation than any in our seven year conference history. His presentation added to the strength of Exciting Windows! and pride of our members to be part of this movement to ...