We can be confronted with a possible turning point in the production of clean hydrogen, thanks to the University of Alberta (U from A) in Canada. A team of researchers developed A method for separating water into its constitutive elements, hydrogen and oxygen, which exploit sunlighta common and economic chemical substance Urea and small threads called Nanofili. This discovery, if implemented on a large scale, can represent a crucial turning point to offer a portable, clean and high energy density fuel for the future.
Remember that hydrogen has long been considered a valid sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and is being hoped for, a fundamental protagonist in the energy panorama of many countries can become. Currently, however, production mainly takes place through the use of solar panels to generate electricity, followed by theWater electrolysis, an often expensive process with a significant dispersion of energy.
The new approach, led by Professor Karthik Shankar of the US, uses direct sunlight to split the water molecules, reducing the energy losses and the production costs may be reduced. This result is achieved thanks to a non -published use of urea, a common and economic chemical connection that is present in fertilizers and urine, which is converted into a material called carbon nitride by a controlled heating process, known as polymerization for thermal condensation.
The team explains that this carbon nitride is particularly effective when absorbing sunlight. This absorption gives the electrons of the material an extra energy, free them and create electronic “holes”. In physics, these moving particles are called Electron-Placuna pairs or small energy packages. Normally these electrons and these openings would quickly recograph and cancel each other.
But the addition of titanium dioxide, a different economic material, creates a cross with carbon nitrure. This intersection maintains the electrons and the individual loads long enough to be used. Consequently, these electrons react with the protons that are present in the water, which generates gaseous hydrogen (H2). The openings, on the other hand, react with hydroxide ions (also of water) that produce gaseous oxygen (O2).
One of the most important benefits of the new method developed by you or A is the ability to Also work on cloudy days. This is made possible by using nanofili, microscopic structures that can capture sunlight from different angles, so that the efficiency of the process is even maximized in widespread light conditions.
Further, The system does not require large storage batteriesBecause the gaseous product acts as an energy storage carrier, which makes their transport and use facilitate. The process promises to have even more respect for the environment than the production of traditional silical solar panels, an energetic process and with a significant impact on the environment. Professor Shankar’s method uses economic and abundant materials, without asking questions for extreme temperatures or generating high levels of pollution.
According to the estimates of the research team, this technology It can be ready for large -scale commercial use within the next three to five years. Professor Shankar emphasized that the current approach, which provides for the use of solar panels to generate electricity and then to use it in the electrolis of water, comprises a considerable energy loss. The direct use of sunlight to produce hydrogen, on the other hand, is expected as a much more efficient method.
This innovation can also encourage greater energy independence for different countries. Currently, a large part of the world silicon comes from China and Russia. The method developed in Canada can enable other countries to produce clean energy with the help of its own resources.
The team is already Further developments investigate, such as the use of melamine, another common material, instead of urea. Moreover, they evaluate the possibility to adjust the process to produce hydrogen, even starting with methanol, a less “clean” substance of the water, but still useful in certain applications. The detailed results of this study were published about the prestigious “Journal of the American Chemical Society” Scientific Journal.
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