“Green Rust” Accelerates Release of Hydrogen

A modified iron hydroxide mineral shows high activity as a catalyst and could pave the way for scalable hydrogen systems.

Researchers in Japan have presented a novel catalyst that could make the storage and release of hydrogen more cost-effective. The team at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) is focusing on iron hydroxide – better known as “green rust.”

Until now, the mineral was considered too unstable for practical use. However, through a special treatment with copper chloride, the researchers have succeeded in creating nanoscale copper oxide clusters at the edges of the particles. These structures form highly active centers for hydrogen production.

Catalyst Also Uses Solar Energy

The special feature of the material is that it absorbs sunlight and transfers the energy directly to the reaction via the copper clusters. According to the researchers, this not only accelerates the release of hydrogen from sodium borohydride, but also makes it more efficient.

Sodium borohydride is considered a promising storage material because it can release hydrogen through mere contact with water. Until now, however, this process has been dependent on expensive precious metal catalysts.

High Turnover Frequency

In tests, the new catalyst achieved a high turnover frequency for hydrogen production that can compete with materials based on platinum or other precious metals. It also proved to be robust, with activity remaining stable even after several cycles.

The researchers emphasize the practicality of their approach. The material is relatively easy to manufacture, works at room temperature, and could be integrated into existing SBH-based systems. “We expect our catalyst to be used in fuel cells for cars and ships,” says project leader Yusuke Ide. The goal is to advance the development of zero-emission mobility.

This is a partly automated translation of this german article.