Innovations Improving Hydrogen Production

Scientists have developed a new method for hydrogen production. Here's more... It's called two-step water electrolysis and it's more efficient than traditional methods. The research was led by Prof. CHEN Changlun from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science. This method separates hydrogen and oxygen production in time and space. It uses a special electrode called a bipolar electrode. The team created cobalt-doped nickel hydroxide bipolar electrodes on carbon cloth. These electrodes can store and release electrical charge effectively. Cobalt doping improves conductivity and prevents unwanted oxygen production. The scientists also developed new catalysts without expensive noble metals. One catalyst is molybdenum-doped nickel cobalt phosphide. Another is a plasma-induced iron composite cobalt oxide bifunctional electrode. These catalysts are highly active and durable. The process works by switching the direction of the electric current. This allows hydrogen and oxygen to be produced at different times. The method results in low cell voltages and high energy conversion efficiency. It also has high decoupling efficiency, separating H2 and O2 production. The team improved layered double hydroxide (LDH) electrodes too. They used nonthermal plasma to prepare nitrogen-doped nickel-cobalt LDH. This significantly improved the electrodes' capacitance and conductivity. Two-step electrolysis solves problems with traditional alkaline electrolyzers. It matches better with fluctuating renewable energy sources like wind and solar. It eliminates hydrogen/oxygen mixing under high pressure, improving safety. The method doesn't need expensive membrane separators. How it works: • Step 1: Charge the electrode • Step 2: Use the stored charge to make hydrogen Benefits: • No mixing of hydrogen and oxygen (safer) • Works well with solar and wind power • No need for expensive separators • More efficient than old methods This could make large-scale hydrogen production more cost-effective. The technology could be used for large-scale hydrogen storage. It might power 5G base stations and data centers in the future. This research is a significant step towards industrial-scale clean hydrogen production. The results were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal and the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. PS. Repost this to your network ♻️

MIT researchers have announced a breakthrough green hydrogen production method using recycled aluminum—think soda cans—activated with a gallium-indium alloy and seawater. A full life-cycle analysis shows it emits just about 1.45 kg CO₂ per kg of hydrogen and is cost‑competitive at approximately $9/kg, similar to green hydrogen from wind or solar. The process is scalable, but what makes it especially promising is its circular design: the spent gallium-indium catalyst is recovered by seawater’s natural ions, and the aluminum-byproduct has industrial value, further improving sustainability and economics. This innovation could enable a future where pretreated aluminum “fuel pellets” are shipped instead of hydrogen, then used to create hydrogen at fueling stations, opening pathways for greener transportation and remote power. https://lnkd.in/eAUkdx5y?

Low-Carbon Hydrogen from Chemical Looping – Smarter Process, Greener Future Hydrogen holds promise as a clean energy carrier, but how we produce it matters just as much as how we use it. One elegant pathway? Chemical looping. In this post, I break down the smart configurations behind a greener hydrogen economy. 🟦 1) Why Chemical Looping? Chemical looping combustion (CLC) enables hydrogen production while inherently capturing CO₂ — no extra capture step required. It uses metal oxides to “loop” oxygen, separating fuel oxidation from the air supply. That means low emissions and high efficiency. 🟦 2) Key Configurations Based on NETL's hydrogen safety report, here are the main chemical looping setups: 🔹 CLC with Air Reactor + Fuel Reactor → Burns fuel indirectly using a metal oxide (MeO). → MeO is reduced in the fuel reactor and regenerated in the air reactor. → Result: CO₂ and H₂O — easy to separate! 🔹 CLC + Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) → Integrates reforming with looping to boost hydrogen yield. → Captures CO₂ without needing extra sorbents. 🔹 CLC with Oxygen Carrier Circulation + Water-Gas Shift (WGS) → Adds a shift reactor to maximize hydrogen by converting CO and steam to H₂ + CO₂. → Coupled with chemical looping, it enables near-zero-emission hydrogen. 🟦 3) Smarter Engineering, Safer Systems The modular nature of these configurations also means more controlled environments — which reduces the hydrogen hazard footprint (fires, jet flames, VCEs). That's a win for safety as well as sustainability. 🟦 4) The Road Ahead Chemical looping may not be mainstream—yet—but its low-carbon credentials, built-in CO₂ capture, and flexibility across fuels (natural gas, biomass, coal) make it a key player in the hydrogen transition. 🟦 Source: Figure 41, NETL Hydrogen Safety Report (Mar 2023) This post is for educational purposes only. 👇 Do you see chemical looping gaining momentum in your region’s hydrogen strategy?

U.S. Chemists Find Hidden Energy Barrier in Water Splitting for Hydrogen Fuel Production Introduction: Water splitting offers a clean, renewable route to hydrogen fuel, but in practice, the process is far less efficient than theoretical models predict. A new study from Northwestern University uncovers a hidden energy barrier in the oxygen evolution half-reaction—offering critical insights that could advance scalable, cost-effective hydrogen production. Key Details: • The Energy Challenge: • Water splitting involves two half-reactions: one that produces hydrogen and one that produces oxygen. • While theory suggests it should require just 1.23 volts, in real systems it typically needs 1.5–1.6 volts, making the process more costly and energy-intensive. • The Hidden Culprit: • Led by Franz Geiger, the Northwestern team identified molecular misalignment during the oxygen evolution reaction as a key inefficiency. • The “molecular acrobatics” required for this step create an underappreciated energy barrier that consumes more power than expected. • Path to Improvement: • The researchers found that adjusting the pH of water can help lower the energy barrier. • By designing better catalysts that facilitate this tricky oxygen-producing reaction, engineers could make water splitting more practical for large-scale use. Why This Matters: Hydrogen is seen as a cornerstone of the clean energy transition, but current water-splitting technologies remain too inefficient for widespread deployment. By pinpointing the hidden energy barrier in oxygen evolution, this study paves the way for next-generation catalysts and system designs that could finally unlock affordable, large-scale hydrogen production. Keith King https://lnkd.in/gHPvUttw