Researchers have found a low-cost way to solve one half of the water-splitting equation to produce hydrogen as clean energy — using sunlight to efficiently split off oxygen molecules from water. It’s a step toward greater adoption of hydrogen as a key part of our energy infrastructure. Scientists came up with a method of creating electrically conductive paths through a thick silicon dioxide layer that can be performed at low cost and scaled to high manufacturing volumes. By coating the layer with a thin film of aluminum and heating the entire structure, arrays of nanoscale “spikes” of aluminum that completely bridge the silicon dioxide layer are formed. When illuminated by sunlight, the devices can efficiently oxidize water to form oxygen molecules while also generating hydrogen at a separate electrode and exhibit outstanding stability under extended operation.
Story Source: Materials provided by University of Texas at Austin
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210719143405.htm
The hydrogen story is complicated and there’s a lot that’s not good. While it’s possible to make hydrogen without using fossil fuels, the vast majority of hydrogen is manufactured with them. Not green at all. The gas utilities are hoping we’ll fall for the idea that hydrogen is a good substitute for “natural” (i.e., fracked) gas and dangles before us the possibility of piping either a fracked gas/hydrogen mix or straight hydrogren through existing infrastructure to our homes. That would be a terrible idea. Hydrogen (1) is much more explosive than fracked gas; (2) explodes so forcefully that it creates powerful, damaging shock waves ; (3) can’t have an odorant like mercapton added to it so there’s no smell to alert people to leaks; (4) burns invisibly (i.e., you would walk or drive right into a hydrogen gas fire because you couldn’t see it); (5) is extremely expensive to make and, if made with renewabel energy, as is somtimes proposed, is a huge waste of that energy – it’s much more efficient to just use the renewable energy directly.
Part 2 of Hydrogen response.
There are some good ways to use hydrogen in industrial processes and to help decarbonize some parts of our economy (just not home heating!). Appropriate uses include energy storage (for solar and wind generated electricity in excess of immediate demand); long-haul trucking and container ships; and extremely high heat industrial processes (e.g., making aluminum and steel).