Energy4Climate (E4C)’s Post

A group of researchers studied how Nickel oxyhydroxides derived from different compounds (NiS2, NiSe2, Ni5P4) perform in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Despite having the same chemical compounds, they found variations in performance.   Using simulations, they discovered that strain is crucial for electrochemical performance during OER. Computational models were created based on experimental results, and calculations on partial density of states (PDOS) were performed. This study established a link between structure and catalytic performance, emphasising the importance of e_g^* band broadening, and suggested potential avenues for designing efficient OER electrocatalysts. https://lnkd.in/gFF4E2jp   The affiliated scientists and researchers involved are from A*STAR's Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), A*STAR Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy & Environment (ISCE2) and National University of Singapore. The full article is featured in Publishing – Energy & Environmental Science: https://lnkd.in/gXgusNAN NUS: Haoyin Zhong  Xiaopeng Wang  Guangxin Sun  Yaxin Tang  Shengdong Tan  Qian He  Jun Zhang  Ting Xiong  Caozheng Diao  Wee Siang Vincent Lee  Junmin Xue  IHPC: Zhigen Yu  ISCE2: shibo xi #IHPC #hydrogen  #watersplitting  #electrolysis

Another good finding by Japanese researchers towards hydrogen infrastructure, has been brought forth for storing and carrying hydrogen economically. One may employ regenerative battery for releasing hydrogen from hydrogen boron sheets at over 90% efficiency. These scientists are going to work on recharging mechanism which seem should work. Based on the mechanism of UV-induced H2 release from HB sheets, the team speculated that electron injection from a cathode electrode into HB nanosheets by an electric power supply could be a superior way to release H2 compared to UV irradiation or heating. Based on this theory, the researchers dispersed HB sheets into acetonitrile—an organic solvent—and applied a controlled voltage to the dispersion. These experiments revealed that nearly all of the electrons injected into the electrochemical system were used to convert H+ ions from the HB sheets into H2 molecules. Notably, the Faradaic efficiency of this process, which measures how much electrical energy is converted into chemical energy, was over 90%. The team also conducted isotope tracing experiments to confirm that the electrochemically released H2 originated from the HB sheets and not through some other chemical reaction. Moreover, they also employed scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to characterize the sheets before and after H2 release, yielding further insights into the underlying mechanisms of the process. These findings contribute to the development of safe and lightweight hydrogen carriers with low energy consumption. Although the team studied the dispersed form of the HB sheets in the published paper, the current findings are applicable to film or bulk-based HB sheet systems for H2 release. Moreover, the team will investigate the rechargeability of HB sheets after dehydrogenation in a future study. #climatechange #hydrogeneconomy #hydrogeninfrastructure #hydrogenstorage

New technology to produce Hydrogen! 💡 Researchers Esteban Toledo and Prof. Joydeep Dutta from Royal Institute of Technology have come up with a novel approach to #water electrolysis that could significantly reduce the risk of explosion when oxygen and hydrogen are separated. Do you want to know more? Do not miss on Make Water Famous's clear, to-the-point, easy to digest summary! Science at the service of our water and energy transition future to fill your cup this week.

Researchers at Taiyuan University of Technology investigated the influence of nickel (Ni) particle size on the activation of CO₂ and formation of CO during the dry reforming of methane (DRM). Using density functional theory, they found that smaller Ni particles favor direct CO₂ dissociation, while larger particles prefer hydrogenation dissociation. Ni25/MgO particles showed superior resistance to carbon formation. These findings could lead to more efficient Ni-based catalysts for DRM, enhancing greenhouse gas utilization and cleaner energy production. For more details, you can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/erTaFZ4H

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a machine-learning model to explore carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture at an atomic level in amine-based sorbents. This model improves the efficiency of direct air capture technologies, essential for reducing atmospheric CO₂. The research highlights how CO₂ binds with amines, involving complex solvent-mediated proton transfer reactions, significantly influenced by quantum proton fluctuations. This advancement bridges theoretical predictions with experimental validations, aiding the design of next-generation materials for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. For more details, visit the article here: https://lnkd.in/eqzycXnW

Extremely interesting. Carbon capture that is more efficient is clearly an important step in tackling the climate crisis.

“A new ELECTROCATALYST massively improves the #commercialviability of #greenhydrogen” “Researchers are turning ordinary #nickel and #cobalt into key pathways for mass-producing hydrogen. Chris Young - Sep 20, 2021 “Researchers from Curtin University identified a more efficient and affordable #electrocatalyst to make green hydrogen from water, a press statement reveals. The new material has the potential to enable #greenhydrogenproduction at an unprecedented scale.” “Scientists have typically used precious metal catalysts, such as #platinum to accelerate the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The Curtin team found that by adding nickel and cobalt to cheaper catalysts, they could enhance their performance, making them worth exploring as a commercially viable alternative. The researchers published the results of their findings in the journal Nano Energy.” "”Our research essentially saw us take two-dimensional #ironsulfurnanocrystals, which don’t usually work as catalysts for the #electricitydrivenreaction that gets hydrogen from water, and add small amounts of nickel and cobalt ions," said lead researcher Dr. Guohua Jia. "When we did this it completely transformed the poor-performing #ironsulfur into a viable and efficient catalyst."” “Green hydrogen bolsters the fight against climate change” “Jia explains that the materials used during the research teams' experiment are more abundant and therefore more affordable. They are also more efficient than #rutheniumoxide, the current benchmark material. "Our findings not only broaden the existing "palette" of possible particle combinations, but also introduce a new, efficient #catalyst that may be useful in other applications. It also opens new avenues for future #research in the #energysector, putting Australia at the forefront of renewable and #cleanenergyresearch and applications."” https://lnkd.in/eyxjB4ik? Source- original post Read all my posts #MariusPreston

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a machine-learning model to explore carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture at an atomic level in amine-based sorbents. This model improves the efficiency of direct air capture technologies, essential for reducing atmospheric CO₂. The research highlights how CO₂ binds with amines, involving complex solvent-mediated proton transfer reactions, significantly influenced by quantum proton fluctuations. This advancement bridges theoretical predictions with experimental validations, aiding the design of next-generation materials for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. For more details, visit the article here: https://lnkd.in/eqzycXnW

🔬 Recent Advancements in Earth-Abundant Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Production: A Scholarly Update 🌐⚛️ Delighted to disseminate recent accomplishments in the domain of earth-abundant electrocatalysts, marking pivotal strides towards sustainable hydrogen production. 📊💧 📚 Innovative Catalytic Strategies: Researchers have made significant headway in the design and synthesis of earth-abundant electrocatalysts, leveraging transition metals and metal-free compositions. These catalysts exhibit noteworthy catalytic activity, presenting a compelling case for their role in advancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen evolution reactions. 🌿 A Sustainable Paradigm Shift: The adoption of earth-abundant materials in electrocatalysis represents a paradigm shift towards sustainability. This approach not only addresses concerns related to the scarcity of precious metals but also aligns with environmental imperatives, contributing to the development of a more sustainable and eco-friendly hydrogen economy. 📈 Performance Optimization: Recent studies underscore the optimization of key performance metrics in earth-abundant electrocatalysts. Improved catalytic activity, stability, and durability are hallmarks of these achievements, underscoring the trajectory towards practical applications in large-scale hydrogen production. 🤝 Interdisciplinary Collaborations: The interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders has been pivotal in advancing the understanding and application of earth-abundant electrocatalysts. The synergy of diverse expertise fosters a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges inherent in this field. 🔍 Looking Forward: As we celebrate these academic accomplishments, it's imperative to collectively ponder the next frontiers. What theoretical and experimental challenges lie ahead in the exploration of earth-abundant electrocatalysts, and how can academia and industry collaborate to overcome them? Let's engage in scholarly discourse to chart the trajectory of future research endeavors. 🌐🔬 #Electrocatalysis #HydrogenProduction #SustainabilityResearch

New graphene membrane for selective CO2 capture from mixed gases! Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technologies have been recognized as important step to fight  climate change. It requires the separation of CO₂ from mixed gas emissions (for examples in power plants) and to capture it before release into the air. Membranes which work as selective barriers, allowing only CO₂ to pass through, therefore become crucial. Recently, KJ. Hsu, et al. at École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne published a new finding on this topic (see: Graphene membranes with pyridinic nitrogen at pore edges for high-performance CO2 capture. Nat Energy (2024). https://lnkd.in/drg4phAN). They introduced new graphene membranes that could enable high performance carbon capture. It is based on incorporate pyridinic nitrogen at pore edges, which facilitates the binding of CO₂ to its pores. They report very exciting CO2/N2 separation factors (53) as well as a CO2 permeance of 10,420 (for details see paper). This could open new opportunities for the large-scale implementation of carbon capture techniques.