Series of four still images from a sample video showing how a photoreactor from Rice University splits water molecules and generates hydrogen when stimulated by simulated sunlight.
(Image courtesy of the Mohite lab/Rice University)
New standard for green hydrogen technology set by Rice U. engineers
Rice University engineers can turn sunlight into hydrogen with record-breaking efficiency thanks to a device that combines next-generation halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts in a single, durable, cost-effective and scalable device.
The new technology is a significant step forward for clean energy and could serve as a platform for a wide range of chemical reactions that use solar-harvested electricity to convert feedstocks into fuels.
The lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Aditya Mohite built the integrated photoreactor using an anticorrosion barrier that insulates the semiconductor from water without impeding the transfer of electrons. According to a study published in Nature Communications, the device achieved a 20.8% solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency.
“Using sunlight as an energy source to manufacture chemicals is one of the largest hurdles to a clean energy economy,” said Austin Fehr, a chemical and biomolecular engineering doctoral student and one of the study’s lead authors. “Our goal is to build economically feasible platforms that can generate solar-derived fuels. Here, we designed a system that absorbs light and completes electrochemical water-splitting chemistry on its surface.”
The device is known as a photoelectrochemical cell because the absorption of light, its conversion into electricity and the use of the electricity to power a chemical reaction all occur in the same device. Until now, using photoelectrochemical technology to produce green hydrogen was hampered by low efficiencies and the high cost of semiconductors.
“All devices of this type produce green hydrogen using only sunlight and water, but ours is exceptional because it has record-breaking efficiency and it uses a semiconductor that is very cheap,” Fehr said.
The Mohite lab and its collaborators created the device by turning their highly-competitive solar cell into a reactor that could use harvested energy to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The challenge they had to overcome was that halide perovskites are extremely unstable in water and coatings used to insulate the semiconductors ended up either disrupting their function or damaging them.
“Over the last two years, we’ve gone back and forth trying different materials and techniques,” said Michael Wong, a Rice chemical engineer and co-author on the study.
After lengthy trials failed to yield the desired result, the researchers finally came across a winning solution.
“Our key insight was that you needed two layers to the barrier, one to block the water and one to make good electrical contact between the perovskite layers and the protective layer,” Fehr said. “Our results are the highest efficiency for photoelectrochemical cells without solar concentration, and the best overall for those using halide perovskite semiconductors.
“It is a first for a field that has historically been dominated by prohibitively expensive semiconductors, and may represent a pathway to commercial feasibility for this type of device for the first time ever,” Fehr said.
The researchers showed their barrier design worked for different reactions and with different semiconductors, making it applicable across many systems.
“We hope that such systems will serve as a platform for driving a wide range of electrons to fuel-forming reactions using abundant feedstocks with only sunlight as the energy input,” Mohite said.
“With further improvements to stability and scale, this technology could open up the hydrogen economy and change the way humans make things from fossil fuel to solar fuel,” Fehr added.
Original Article: Device makes hydrogen from sunlight with record efficiency
More from: Rice University | National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Green hydrogen technology
- Hurdles on the path to green growth — and how to remove them
The government has been supporting a shift to green energy with initiatives such as the PLI scheme in the renewable energy (RE) sector launched for manufacturing solar modules, viability gap funding ...
- IDTechEx Discusses Key Business Models for Electrolyzer Firms in Green Hydrogen Projects
Electrolyzer OEMs have adopted various business strategies to deploy their systems into commercial projects. This article shares some of the research from the IDTechEx report " Green Hydrogen ...
- Distillers’ carbon-cutting sparks trials of hydrogen fuel
Spirits majors, working to cut their emissions, are testing alternative sources for the fuels used in distillation and packaging.
- Pure Hydrogen reckons the Budget sets Australia on the right track as the world embraces the next big revolution
Green-tech advocates believes Australia's $23bn federal budget positions it well as the global economy enters a new era.
- Optimising green hydrogen production with technology advancement
A recent Markets and Markets research report Green Hydrogen Market, Industry Size Forecast Report outlines that the segment is set to reach $7,314 billion by 2027, growing at 61% CAGR. This growth is ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Integrated photoreactor
- New High-Power LED Photoreactor from Uniqsis
The Solstice Maxi™ from Uniqsis is a new high-power LED photoreactor with a jacketed, multi-position tube holder accommodating twelve 20ml septum-sealed reactor tubes. Designed for scientists looking ...
- Integrated optics articles from across Nature Portfolio
Achieving acoustic waveguides with low loss, tailorability, and easy fabrication is a considerable challenge. Here, the authors introduce suspended anti-resonant acoustic waveguides with superior ...
- How to buy the best integrated washer-dryer
But before you commit to an integrated washer-dryer, there are a few things to consider. In this advice guide you’ll find out: Head over to our integrated washer-dryer reviews to find the built in ...
- How to buy the best integrated washing machine
Integrated washing machines are designed to be incorporated into your kitchen units, sitting underneath your worktop and typically behind a door. It's ideal if you're wanting to streamline your ...
- Microsoft’s AI-integrated Surface devices redefine personal computing
As the demand for AI-integrated systems continues to drive market expansion, Microsoft’s dedication to AI integration positions the company and its semiconductor partners for success.