A stunning breakthrough was announced by researchers who figured out an innovative way to produce hydrogen from water using solar power. This is a potentially huge development in that it could help mainstream an alternative fuel source that doesn't release harmful pollution into the air.
Scientists have long been studying the best ways to produce hydrogen efficiently, cheaply, and with little environmental impact. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, there have been over 300 water-splitting cycles tested that yielded varying amounts of energy while exploring different operating conditions and engineering challenges. So, this is an extremely welcome breakthrough because it offers a promising path forward.
The study, published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry in October, details how scientists developed a perovskite solar cell that helps create hydrogen cleanly. Perovskites are mineral compounds made up of calcium, titanium, and oxygen that have been used in solar panels for years because of their ability to conduct electricity.
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Never 👎 "This latest study is an important step forwards in understanding how these tin compounds can be stabilized and effective in water," said professor Gunther Andersson of the Flinders University Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.
Like so many daunting problems, it was solved with collaboration. The study was an international effort, led by the team from Flinders in Australia with help from scientists in Germany and the United States. They worked diligently, building on each other's research to make the breakthrough.
"Our reported material points to a novel chemical strategy for absorbing the broad energy range of sunlight and using it to drive fuel-producing reactions at its surfaces," professor Paul Maggard of Baylor University said.
Hydrogen energy can be used in many industrial processes, such as refining petroleum and processing foods. It is also used as rocket fuel and, perhaps most promisingly, for powering vehicles.
And this is not the only exciting development in hydrogen technology. A company recently began employing hydrogen fuel for long-haul shipping. It is even being used to power high-speed rail transportation in China. With all these uses, finding ways to produce hydrogen without environmental consequences is a tremendous discovery.
The burning of dirty energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas continues to release harmful air pollution around the globe. Innovative and exciting developments such as this solar method for creating hydrogen fuel demonstrate that it is possible to get all the energy we need without destroying the environment in the process.
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