Add BrightSurf on Google Email

New nanodevice could use solar energy to produce hydrogen

Scientists have designed a gold nanoparticle conjugate that can be used as a platform for developing a light-driven, water-splitting nanodevice for generating hydrogen. The PSI-GNP-PSII conjugate mimics photosynthesis to convert solar energy into chemical energy, offering a potential solution to the current energy crisis.

SourceIOS Press·JournalBiomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging·DateJun 9, 2020

Energy generated on offshore wind turbine farms, and conveyed ashore as hydrogen fuel

A new study by the University of the Basque Country confirms that offshore wind turbines can produce hydrogen fuel with significant increases in energy generation. The research found that adding vortex generators and Gurney flaps to wind turbines improved aerodynamics, resulting in 2.5% higher annual energy production.

SourceUniversity of the Basque Country·JournalInternational Journal of Hydrogen Energy·DateApr 30, 2020

Artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas

Artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas using a new method developed by researchers at Uppsala University. The technique utilizes photosynthetic microorganisms with genetically inserted enzymes combined with synthetic compounds, enabling efficient production of renewable hydrogen gas from solar energy.

SourceUppsala University·JournalEnergy & Environmental Science·DateOct 4, 2018

Is hydrogen the fuel of the future?

Global experts argue that solar-driven water splitting can become the technology of choice for producing hydrogen, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. However, significant research efforts are needed to industrialize this process and make it suitable for the 21st century and beyond.

SourceCambridge University Press·JournalMRS Energy & Sustainability·DateFeb 6, 2018

Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Aug. 2017

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a novel method to convert used cooking oil into biofuel using recycled carbon materials. Additionally, they have found a way to insulate the innermost wall of a fusion reactor to maintain the delicate balance between hot plasma and cool exhaust. Furthermore, scientists have di...

SourceDOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory·JournalChemistrySelect·DateAug 1, 2017

Solar paint offers endless energy from water vapor

Researchers at RMIT University have developed a solar paint that can split water atoms to generate hydrogen fuel, the cleanest source of energy. The innovative material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, catalyses the reaction and acts as a semi-conductor, making it efficient in producing hydrogen from solar energy and moist air.

SourceRMIT University·JournalACS Nano·DateJun 14, 2017

Photopower for microlabs

Researchers have developed a fully integrated microfluidic device that produces hydrogen fuel and converts it into electrical energy based on photocatalysis. The device is designed to be self-sustaining and can provide enough power to transmit data from a microsensor for 24 hours.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateJun 13, 2017

Water, water, nowhere

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering have found that graphane could transport protons without water, potentially leading to more efficient hydrogen fuel cells. The unusual properties of graphane enable it to rapidly conduct protons across a membrane, making it suitable for anhydrous conditions.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMay 4, 2017

Tailor-made membranes for the environment

Researchers at Forschungszentrum Juelich have developed tailor-made ceramic membranes to efficiently separate gases, including harmful greenhouse gases, and produce high-purity hydrogen. The membrane's stability and hydrogen flow rate have been improved by inserting foreign atoms into the crystal lattice.

SourceForschungszentrum Juelich·JournalScientific Reports·DateNov 30, 2016

Efficient catalysts key to turning water into fuel

Researchers at Griffith University have made significant progress in developing highly efficient catalysts for turning water into clean chemical fuel like hydrogen. The project aims to address high overpotentials hindering gas evolution reactions, which are critical for clean energy generation and storage technologies.

SourceGriffith University·JournalNature Energy·DateNov 30, 2016

Carbon leads the way in clean energy

Researchers have developed a nickel-carbon-based catalyst that replaces platinum in producing hydrogen from water, offering a cheaper alternative for renewable energy technologies. The new catalyst exhibits highly efficient hydrogen evolution performance and impressive durability.

SourceGriffith University·JournalNature Communications·DateMar 22, 2016

Clean energy from water

A team of researchers led by Catherine Housecroft and Edwin Constable developed a water oxidation model that simulates fuel cells powered by light radiation. The model uses compounds of ruthenium as a catalyst, enabling the self-assembly of individual components in a hierarchical structure.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalChemical Communications·DateFeb 8, 2016

An alternative to platinum: Iron-nitrogen compounds as catalysts in graphene

Researchers have discovered a new class of catalysts that use iron-nitrogen compounds in graphene, achieving levels of activity comparable to platinum-based catalysts. The purification process allows for the creation of exclusively FeN4 centres, which provide high catalytic efficiency even without promoters.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateJan 27, 2016

Renewable energy obtained from wastewater

Researchers at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have developed a technology to recover energy from wastewater using MEC, producing hydrogen with high efficiency and low voltage. The system demonstrated excellent results in hydrogen production and energy recovery, opening up potential for industrial-scale development.

SourceUniversitat Autonoma de Barcelona·JournalWater Research·DateFeb 24, 2015

Emissions-free cars get closer

Researchers have discovered that hydrogen binding energy is the most important factor predicting the rate of the fuel-cell reaction, enabling the design of new catalyst materials. Alkaline polymers are being explored as a potential solution to create less expensive electrocatalysts that work well in an alkaline environment.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 8, 2015

Hydrogen-powered invasion

Researchers discovered that Salmonella Typhimurium obtains energy for its attack by stealing hydrogen from the microbiota. This 'theft-based hydrogen economy' allows the pathogen to find an energy source in any new animal host.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalCell Host & Microbe·DateDec 11, 2013

New materials for bio-based hydrogen synthesis

Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have developed a method to generate bio-based hydrogen through spontaneous protein activation, enabling the industrial application of hydrogenases. The new process uses chemically synthesized inactive iron complexes and biological precursors to produce fully activated enzymes.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalNature Chemical Biology·DateAug 12, 2013

How does hydrogen metallize?

New calculations predict hydrogen takes on a series of structures under high pressure, forming transparent metal layers that make detection difficult. The findings suggest the line between metal and non-metal in hydrogen is blurrier than previously thought, requiring advanced experimental techniques to detect.

SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 29, 2013

Surprising findings on hydrogen production in green algae

Researchers at Uppsala University found that green algae can produce hydrogen gas directly from sunlight, with up to 80% of the energy absorbed by Photosystem II going into production. This discovery changes the view on hydrogen production in green algae and offers hope for efficient renewable energy source.

SourceUppsala University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 15, 2013

Breakthrough in hydrogen fuel production could revolutionize alternative energy market

Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, potentially bringing a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel source to the world. The new process uses xylose, the most abundant simple plant sugar, to produce high-purity hydrogen with an energy efficiency of over 100 percent.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateApr 4, 2013

Novel alloy could produce hydrogen fuel from sunlight

A novel alloy has been developed that can produce hydrogen fuel from sunlight using photoelectrochemical water splitting. The GaN-Sb alloy, made of inexpensive materials, functions as a catalyst in the process and can be reused indefinitely. This discovery could potentially have profound implications for the future of solar energy.

SourceUniversity of Kentucky·JournalPhysical Review B·DateAug 30, 2011

Hydrogen highway in the deep sea

Researchers have discovered hydrogen-powered symbiotic bacteria in deep-sea mussels, which use hydrogen as an energy source. The ability to harness hydrogen is widespread in hydrothermal vent symbioses, with one mussel population consuming up to 5000 liters of hydrogen per hour.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature·DateAug 10, 2011