Nano Discovery in Efficient Solar to Hydrogen Production

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Northeastern University have discovered an important finding on a nano scale in regard to solar to hydrogen production. The scientists have discovered that tiny amounts of potassium on the nanotubes help break the bonds of water, creating hydrogen in a more efficient manner.

Producing efficient solar nanotubes with large surface areas helps bring down the costs of using sunlight to split water via electrolysis and create hydrogen. The researchers were studying the effects of using titania (or titanium dioxide) and carbon on the nanotubes, when they stumbled upon a discovery when using an X-ray spectroscopy beamline at the NIST facility.

What they found was that during the fabrication process of the nanotubes using potassium salts, trace amounts of potassium ions were left behind. The scientists compared the nanotubes with and without potassium ions and found the ones with potassium ions to be one-third more efficient at producing hydrogen.

The efficient production of hydrogen from solar power is something that researchers around the world have been working on for the last decade. The discovery by NIST and Northeastern University may help commercialize cheap hydrogen production on a large scale in multiple locations and usher in the adoption of hydrogen cars much sooner than anticipated.

2 comments on “Nano Discovery in Efficient Solar to Hydrogen Production”

1. It seems to be extremely hard to research the various methods of
   producing hydrogen let alone storing it. I fear that Obama is tipping the
   balance against hydrogen in favor of plug-in cars to the tune of billions
   of dollars. It seems to be working as Honda now appears ro be favorable
   to BEV’s and PHEV’s (no fuel cell). Honda wasn’t not too long ago.

   I hate to think that both Honda and Toyota are giving up on fuel cell
   cars.

   Here is this research into how to crack water using sunlight that
   discovered a new catalyst, potassium, at a time when possibly
   noone in the auto industry is serious anymore about hydrogen.
   Maybe hydrogen cars will happen when it is easy to produce’
   hydrogen and people realize that stationary fuel cells are a better
   idea than diesel generators.

   Maybe it’s time to lobby for more hydrogen pipelines and running
   more cities on fuel cell power plants.

2. The ONLY reason Hydrogen Cars are not the Number one Selling Drive System on Cars today is because they refuse to SELL them.

   The Demand exists!!