A groundbreaking achievement in clean energy comes from a team of researchers based in the Chinese mainland. According to Science and Technology Daily, the team has set a new record in solar hydrogen production efficiency, reaching an impressive 10.36 percent sustained over more than a month.
The study, recently published in Nature Communications, highlights the innovative work of scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China and Wuhan University. By designing a novel photoelectrode structure utilizing silicon-based gallium nitride nanowires, the researchers have overcome significant challenges in the field of green hydrogen production.
This advanced structure operates efficiently in a half-cell configuration, maintaining stable hydrogen production for over 800 hours at high current densities. This development not only boosts the efficiency but also significantly extends the lifespan of the photoelectrode from mere hours to several months, addressing the long-standing issues of corrosion and catalytic decay found in traditional photoelectric hydrogen production devices.
Photoelectrochemical water splitting, the technology behind this breakthrough, directly converts sunlight and water into green hydrogen, offering a promising avenue for sustainable energy. The integration of gold nanoparticles as a co-catalyst in the new photoelectrode enhances the catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution while preventing the detachment and decay of catalytic activity during the reaction process.
The researchers believe that this scalable structure can be adapted to other compound semiconductor and catalytic reaction systems, potentially playing a pivotal role in global energy conversion and supporting the transition towards sustainable development.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
