Damian Sendler: For decades, scientists around the world have been trying to find a way to harness the power of the sun to produce hydrogen as a clean energy source by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The problem is that doing it right was too expensive, and trying to do it cheaply resulted in bad results. 

Damian Jacob Sendler: When it comes to solving one half of the equation, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have come up with a low-cost method of doing it. Nature Communications recently published the findings, which show that hydrogen might be an important part of our energy infrastructure. 

Early in the 1970s, researchers started looking at the idea of harnessing solar power to produce hydrogen. However, the challenge to discover materials with the qualities needed for a device that can efficiently perform the key chemical reactions has prevented it from becoming a widespread approach. 

Damian Sendler

It is necessary to use materials that can absorb sunlight and do not degrade during the water-splitting reactions, according to Edward Yu, a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the Cockrell School. Materials that are good at absorbing sunlight tend to be unstable under the circumstances required for water-splitting reaction, while materials that are stable are poor at absorbing sunlight. This seemingly insurmountable tension can be overcome by combining multiple materials — one that efficiently absorbs sunlight, such as silicon, and another that provides good stability, such as silicon dioxide — into a single device.” 

Another problem arises, however, because the electrons and holes formed as a result of solar radiation absorption in silicon must be able to quickly traverse the silicon dioxide barrier. There are normally only a few nanometers of silicon dioxide on the surface of the silicon absorber, which lowers its ability to protect it against degradation. 

This innovation was made possible by a low-cost, high-volume approach of constructing electrically conductive channels through a thick silicon dioxide layer. For this, Yu and his colleagues adopted a process that was first used in the fabrication of semiconductor electronic chips in order to achieve their goal It is possible to create nanoscale “spikes” of aluminum by sprinkling metal onto the silicon dioxide layer and then heating the entire structure. It’s easy to substitute them with nickel or other elements that aid in water-splitting reactions. 

Aside from producing oxygen molecules when exposed to sunlight, the devices can also generate hydrogen at a different electrode and are exceptionally stable when in use for long periods of time. As these devices are made using procedures typically found in the creation of semiconductor electronics, they should be simple to scale up for mass distribution. 

Damian Jacob Sendler

To make the technique more widely available, the group has applied for a provisional patent. 

Hydrogen’s potential as a fuel depends on its ability to be produced more efficiently. Heat is used to produce a large amount of hydrogen, however fossil fuels are required and carbon emissions are produced as a result. 

The concept of “green hydrogen” in which hydrogen is produced in a more environmentally friendly manner, is gaining traction. As part of this endeavour, streamlining the water-splitting reaction is essential.

With its unique properties, hydrogen has the potential to be a significant renewable resource in the future.” There are numerous industrial processes where it already plays a big role, and it is beginning to show up in the automotive industry. Energy storage and long-haul transportation could benefit from both fuel cell batteries and hydrogen technology, which can store excess wind and solar energy when conditions are ripe for it. 

Damien Sendler: The team’s next goal is to increase the response rate in order to boost the oxygen element of water splitting’s efficiency. They must now move on to the opposite side of the equation, which is a big problem for them. 

Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: In order to completely divide water molecules, you must accomplish both the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, which is why our next step is to apply these principles to construct devices for the hydrogen half of the reaction.

Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler and his media team provided the content for this article.