Scientists have developed a new technology to produce clean and renewable hydrogen fuel using a cost-effective and durable cathode without platinum. The cathode, made from a mixture of rhenium phosphide and molybdenum phosphide, has been shown to operate continuously for 1,000 hours at high current densities. This innovation is expected to reduce the cost of clean energy and facilitate large-scale industrial hydrogen production. Kathmandu, April 18.
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have discovered an affordable and sustainable method to generate clean, renewable hydrogen fuel without using the expensive platinum metal. This new technology is anticipated to significantly lower the cost of clean energy in the future and support commercial-scale hydrogen production.
The process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity derived from renewable sources like solar or wind is known as a water electrolyzer. Hydrogen produced through this method serves as a completely pollution-free and clean fuel. However, until now, water-splitting systems required cathodes made from very costly platinum group metals, making the production of clean hydrogen fuel expensive.
Led by Professor Gang Wu of the McKelvey School of Engineering, the research team developed a novel composite cathode using a mix of two inexpensive phosphides: rhenium phosphide (Re_2P) and molybdenum phosphide. Rhenium facilitates easy binding and release of hydrogen on the cathode’s surface, while molybdenum accelerates the splitting of water molecules in alkaline electrolytes.
