A team from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint research centre of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the National Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), and the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (ITACA) of the UPV, has developed the design of materials that improve the process of obtaining hydrogen from water using microwave radiation. The process makes it possible to obtain hydrogen from renewable electrical energy, thus avoiding the CO2 emissions associated with hydrogen production.
The research aims to significantly improve the production of green hydrogen through redox cycles, in which the material absorbs and releases oxygen from water, stably separating it from oxygen. The developed process allows obtaining green hydrogen from renewable electrical energy through the design and use of materials with redox properties that react to microwave radiation. The basis of the redox chemical cycle is the transfer of electrons between atoms of different elements in the presence of the induced electromagnetic field, which allows the electrification of the process.
Microwaves offer unique advantages in the electrification of a redox process, such as the provision of electrical energy without the need for contacts and the drastic decrease in the cycle temperature (from 1300 ºC to 400 ºC), which also reduces the complexity of the H2 obtaining process and maximizes energy efficiency.
Main novelty
The main novelty of this work is the comprehensive study of the material properties that determine the process performance. The foundations of material design have been laid to tailor the production of oxygen and hydrogen and adjust the energy state of the material according to the desired application. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that oxygen can be extracted through a highly controlled and rapid pulsed process.
“The design of the cavities or chambers where we apply microwaves, as well as the control of the radiation process on these materials, are essential to take advantage of the unique advantages offered by microwave technology. This technology has established itself in many industrial applications in recent years due to its rapid scalability and high energy efficiency,” explains José Manuel Catalá, director of the ITACA Institute (UPV).
“During the research, a detailed study of the influence on hydrogen production of different dopants introduced into the matrix material (cerium oxide) was carried out to adjust the interaction with microwave radiation and the properties of the resulting energized material. Subsequently, we studied the hydrogen production capacity of this material and the mechanism that governs the process, which will facilitate the future design of materials,” explains José Manuel Serra, director of ITQ (UPV-CSIC).
The study, published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, showed that the materials designed and used to enhance hydrogen are strong and stable.
The project was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the European funds NextGenerationEU and the Ramón y Cajal contracts and by the Generalitat Valenciana.
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