Background
Hydrogen (H2) offers a promising solution in the global energy transition toward net-zero-carbon, particularly for decarbonizing challenging sectors like long-distance transportation, heavy industries, and renewable energy storage. However, most hydrogen is now produced by large-scale natural gas reforming without carbon capture and storage.
Water splitting using electrolysis is an attractive method for producing hydrogen as it offers a more sustainable alternative, by using water and renewable electricity to produce H2 and oxygen. However, current challenges in water splitting include low efficiency and high cost of catalysts (e.g., platinum, iridium oxide) used in electrolysis. Additionally, the most effective catalysts in the platinum group elements can suffer from stability issues during water electrolysis, leading to decreased performance and the need for frequent replacements. There is a growing need to develop affordable, efficient, and durable catalysts to make water splitting a viable large-scale hydrogen production method.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a novel Niobium (Nb)-based single atom catalyst (SAC) to be used in water electrolysis for hydrogen production. This catalyst exhibits the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction performance better than the current benchmarks of platinum-group metals or iridium oxide based electrocatalysts. This catalyst can work in both alkaline and acid water with superior performance.
Potential Applications:
- Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production:
- Alkaline Electrolyzers (AEL)
- Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers (PEM)
- Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers (AEM)
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Reduction:
- Fuels
- Metal-Air Batteries
- Clean Energy Production
Benefits and Advantages:
- High performance – better hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction performance
- Versatile – can work in both alkaline and acid water with superior performance
- Lower cost – removes need for expensive platinum-based catalysts