[font face=Serif][font size=5]New water-splitting materials for cheap production of clean energy[/font]

Posted 5 June 2017

[font size=3]UNSW chemists have invented a new catalyst for splitting water with an electrical current – to efficiently produce hydrogen fuel.

Using metal organic frameworks, Associate Professor Chuan Zhao and Drs Sheng Chen and Jingjing Duan created an electrocatalyst that drives the two reactions required for separating water into its constituent molecules, hydrogen and oxygen. Splitting water usually requires two different catalysts.

Until now, most metal organic frameworks, or MOFs, were considered to be poor conductors – so, not useful for electrochemical reactions. They are typically made into a bulky form, which means the active catalytic sites are deeply embedded inside the porous material, where it is difficult for the water to access.

…

By creating MOF arrays that are ultrathin they were able to expose the pores, and increase the surface area for electrical contact with water. These MOF electrocatalysts were made of abundant, non-precious metals like nickel, iron and copper.

…[/font][/font]