Scientists have developed a new crystal material that produces hydrogen with sunlight

Scientists have developed a new crystal material that splits water with sunlight and produces clean hydrogen gas without the need for expensive metals.

Chemical engineers from Oregon State University in the US have developed a new class of photocatalytic materials that split water using direct sunlight and produce clean hydrogen gas without the need for expensive metal catalysts. In the research, the crystal structure called 'BVR-19', which has a metal-organic lattice architecture, was examined. It was determined that this material, which can form spontaneously in aqueous solutions at room temperature without consuming any additional energy, unlike classical hydrogen production methods, accelerates the reaction tremendously under sunlight.

Elucidating the working principle of the system, the researchers determined that the unusual sulfur-sulfur chemical bonds within the material were temporarily broken when exposed to light. It was determined that the highly reactive sulfur components released directly provide the electron flow required to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen. It was noted that the system produces hydrogen at high efficiency without the need for an additional noble metal catalyst, as the reaction load is undertaken by organic sulfur blocks in the material instead of precious metal atoms such as platinum or palladium.

It was stated that the developed photocatalyst offers a much more economical green fuel alternative compared to high energy-cost traditional electrolysis methods in which water is split with electricity.

Kyriakos Stylianou, the lead author of the research, stated that they mapped the photocatalytic powers of different variations by changing the metal cores of the material. Stylianou reported that the design principles obtained will significantly reduce the production cost of new generation reactors that convert sunlight directly into storable clean fuel.