Researchers from Technion's Schulich Faculty of Chemistry have discovered an efficient, inexpensive method to produce hydrogen gas from water.
Hydrogen, a renewable fuel, is often synthesized via water electrolysis, a method that generally requires high pH, high electrical potential, and catalysts based on inexpensive metals.
The Technion researchers, led by Professor Galia Maayan, head of the Biomimetic Chemistry Laboratory in the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, and doctoral student Guilin Ruan, found a method of electrolysis that is the fastest of its kind and uses copper, a common metal, as a catalyst, according to The Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The electrolysis system they developed is homogeneous; the catalyst is water-soluble and all the components are in the same medium. The system uses copper ions, a peptide-like oligomer, which is a small molecule that binds the copper, and borate, which stabilizes the metal molecules, maintains an optimal pH level and acts as a catalyst.
The unique system is faster and more efficient than similar electrolysis methods. Maayan said "the system was inspired by enzymes (biological catalysts) that use the protein's peptide chain to stabilize the metallic center and by natural energetic processes such as photosynthesis, which are driven by units that use solar energy to transport electrons and protons," according to a statement from Technion.
