Novel method for hydrogen production

[begreen]

Still at the lab stage. Quantum physics is spooky stuff, but if this process scales, it could be a real boost to hydrogen production.

Researchers create green fuel with the flip of a light switch

Researchers at Princeton and Rice universities have combined iron, copper, and a simple LED light to demonstrate a low-cost technique that could be key to distributing hydrogen, a fuel that packs high amounts of energy with no carbon pollution.

techxplore.com

 

[EbS-P]

How are making most of the ammonia?

 

[begreen]

Ammonia production - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[EbS-P]

Which confirms my understanding that methane is used to generate hydrogenated to make ammonia which the new low energy nanoscale + LED turns back into hydrogen. I must be missing something…..

 

[peakbagger]

Skip the hydrogen and burn the ammonia directly. https://www.nh3fuel.com/index.php/faqs/16-ammonia/35-is-ammonia-the-ideal-energy-currency. Its easier to store ammonia than hydrogen.

 

[EbS-P]

I missed the “distribution” word. I guess it makes some sense but I’m not convinced Hydrogen is the way of the future yet.

 

[stoveliker]

It shifts the sustainability problem to the stock for hydrogen. I agree transporting ammonia is easier (I've mentioned this here before), and that seems to have been the goal: move quantities of hydrogen without having explosive gases under pressure in your car. (Well, as.peakbagger shows, ammonia can do so too, but less problematic than high pressure hydrogen, imo). Only how to extract it remained a problem. This work presents progress in that but doesn't provide a sustainable fuel production at its base.

This is nothing spooky. Quantum mechanics (first principles, most likely) only entered in the efforts to describe what is happening. Other than that, the concept is a nice mix of chemistry (catalytics) and physics. Nothing spooky going on here.

 

[begreen]

View attachment 303910

Skip the hydrogen and burn the ammonia directly. https://www.nh3fuel.com/index.php/faqs/16-ammonia/35-is-ammonia-the-ideal-energy-currency. Its easier to store ammonia than hydrogen.

Funny you should mention that. I was wondering if that was possible. It's worth noting that the quoted report on using ammonia in an ICE engine is dated 1966. Next to research, can ammonia be used directly with fuel cells.

Recent progress in ammonia fuel cells and their potential applications

Conventional technologies are largely powered by fossil fuel exploitation and have ultimately led to extensive environmental concerns. Hydrogen is an excellent carbon-free energy carrier, but its storage and long-distance transportation remain big challenges. Ammonia, however, is a promising...

pubs.rsc.org

Op-ed: What's the verdict on ammonia as fuel or as hydrogen carrier?

Two fuels contending for the lead alternative fuel are hydrogen and ammonia.

www.power-eng.com

 

[stoveliker]

A new way to produce ammonia

This is a pretty dry topic, until one looks at the impacts of ammonia manufacture on the climate. This could be a game changer. It is even more important if the world migrates more toward using ammonia as a refrigerant. https://newatlas.com/energy/green-ammonia-phosphonium-production/ The...

www.hearth.com

Looks like CA drew the line on ICE engines 2035

https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/24/23320148/california-gas-car-ban-2035-ev-climate-change Hydrogen is still in the running so it will be interesting what the fleet mix will be. Several other states (many in New England) have adopted CA standards in the past. Not so sure on this one unless...

www.hearth.com

 

[woodgeek]

The OP study uses plasmonics, which I have done a fair amount of study on. The idea is that if you have a tiny metallic particle, the electric field gets amplified near its surface, especially if its designed to resonantly oscillate at the light frequency, so a photoreaction will occur more rapidly. They formed iron based nanoparticles that provided that resonant enhancement.

The first plasmonic particles were nano-gold formulations, which resonate in the red wavelength. Some made my Faraday are still in existence. They also get dispersed in red stained glass.... and never fade.

I am very skeptical of the scalability of this tech, bc mass producing nanoparticles, getting light to them all, and maintaining their surfaces (durability) in a reactive environemnt sounds VERY difficult.

 

[stoveliker]

No, the plasmons were excited in copper that had some iron in it, the latter acted as the active sites.

It all depends on the light delivery. Streaming a thin film suspension of particles in ammonia below a led bank seems to be needed.

 

[woodgeek]

There is a huge amount of funding for novel catalysis these days, esp photocatalysis. We will see if the tech delivers. Many of these very fancy new materials have very poor durability.

 

[stoveliker]

I agree. I've had some DOE funding related to this.

The main problem I see is surface oxidation. Unless iron in cation valences (rather than metallic form) is effective as well.

Plasmon enhanced catalysis is not new. I think they (husband and wife team here) were able to get into Science because of the hydrogen selling point.

We'll see, earliest a decade from now...

 

[SpaceBus]

There is a huge amount of funding for novel catalysis these days, esp photocatalysis. We will see if the tech delivers. Many of these very fancy new materials have very poor durability.

Stuff is always of poor durability in the beginning. Durability takes time.

 

[EbS-P]

Looks like we will be drilling for it too!

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/climate/white-hydrogen-fossil-fuels-climate/index.html

 

[joop]

no plasmons were hurt in the writing of this article

 

[semipro]

Looks like we will be drilling for it too!

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/climate/white-hydrogen-fossil-fuels-climate/index.html

A significant underground reserve of naturally occurring (white) hydrogen?
From what I've read I thought that the amount of white hydrogen available was basically negligible.
It will be interesting to see how is used; onsite electrical generation or offsite transport to existing generating facilities?