Better, faster & cheaperhttps://www.sciencealert.com/new-water-splitting-methods-could-unlock-hydrogen-s-green-energy-potential wrote:
Bring on the hydrogen fuel. DAVID NIELD 17 MAY 2017
... "Hydrogen is the cleanest primary energy source we have on Earth," says one of the team, Paul C. W. Chu. "Water could be the most abundant source of hydrogen if one could separate the hydrogen from its strong bond with oxygen in the water by using a catalyst."
To split water into hydrogen and oxygen, two reactions are needed - one for each element. The main issue has been getting an efficient catalyst for the oxygen part of the equation, which is what these researchers say they've now cracked.
The catalyst is made up of a ferrous metaphosphate and a conductive nickel foam platform, a combination of materials the team says is more efficient and less expensive than existing solutions. ...
And until now, oxygen reactions have often relied on electrocatalysts that use iridium, platinum, or ruthenium - 'noble' metals that are difficult and expensive to source. Experts say oxygen reactions have become a bottleneck to the whole process.
Nickel, in contrast, is more abundant and so easier and cheaper to get. The metal forms the basis of another water-splitting method discovered last year, so scientists now have several avenues to explore for improving hydrogen production.
The actual splitting itself is usually powered by an electric current or solar power, but because water only captures a small portion of the light spectrum, it's more productive to convert sunshine into energy first, then use the electricity to release hydrogen.
If scientists can crack the formula, hydrogen could eventually power everything from homes to cars. And it's a far better option for the environment than CO2-gushing fossil fuels - hydrogen fuel produces water as a by-product of combustion, which is both sustainable and non-polluting.
