Researchers in Korea have discovered a new method that could help solve one of the biggest problems with the electrolysis process, essential for creating hydrogen as an energy source.
According to Interesting Engineering, scientists at the Korea Institute of Materials Science have developed a catalyst that removes corrosive chloride ions from the electrolysis procedure. This could allow the creation of hydrogen from seawater and fresh water.
Typically, the electrolysis process works with fresh water. When the same methods are used with salt water, what is left is hydrogen and oxygen, but also chloride, which corrodes the electrodes needed to split the water and create pure hydrogen.
The KIMS scientists used MXene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial that they oxidized before combining it with nickel ferrite to create a catalyst that, as Interesting Engineering described, had five times the current density and twice the durability of conventional catalysts. It also repels chloride ions, reducing the risk of corrosion.
“This study is important because it addresses the issue of chloride ions in seawater by utilizing the novel MXene material,” project leader Juchan Yang said, according to IE. “We are actively conducting follow-up demonstration research to turn this technology into a sustainable hydrogen production solution.”
Hydrogen – and especially “green hydrogen,” or hydrogen produced with renewable energy – has gained some attention as the world seeks more renewable alternatives to oil and gas, with the goal of reducing the generation of heat-trapping pollution and diversifying the energy mix. However, the fuel disadvantages can be significant.
Hydrogen is expensive to produce and can require immense amounts of energy, defeating the purpose of creating it in the first place, especially in cases where dirty fossil fuels are part of the process. On top of that, with fresh water becoming an increasingly scarce and precious commodity in many parts of the warming world, using it to create energy poses its own set of problems.
Meanwhile, this development can open up a huge opportunity for hydrogen fuel production to become a more important part of the energy mix, potentially making salt water a viable route for its generation and ensuring that fresh water can be saved for more essential needs, such as drinking and irrigation.
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