Korean University's 'Green' Auto-Grade Hydrogen Breakthrough

Researchers at a South Korean university claim they’ve made a breakthrough in producing "green" hydrogen for automotive powertrains at low cost.

The Chung-Ang University team say their new ruthenium catalyst is a stable, reactive and cost-effective method of sustainable hydrogen production through proton exchange membrane water electrolysis.

Until now the challenge of sustainable electrolysis for green hydrogen production comes mainly from the absence of efficient, low-cost and stable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in acidic solutions.

However, the research team is experimenting with doping a ruthenium catalyst with zinc to boost stability and reactivity compared to current versions. The team says current issues with electrolysis using electricity to create hydrogen and oxygen molecules from water have been solved better than using iridium-based catalysts as a potential solution. Metallic iridium is rare and expensive.

Another alternative, oxides of ruthenium (RuO2), offer a more affordable and reactive option but they suffer from stability issues. Now the team’s study, to be published this month in the Journal of Energy Chemistry, could offer a cost-effective solution without the need for the automotive industry to resort to either "gray" or "blue" hydrogen to advance these alternatives for vehicle powertrains.

Professor Haeseong Jang, from the university’s Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, says: “Based on our study, we propose a dual-engineering strategy, involving single-atom Zn doping and the introduction of oxygen vacancies, to balance high catalytic activity with stability during acidic OER (oxygen evolution reaction).

“We believe that this shift can revolutionize industries, transportation and energy infrastructure, and contribute to the efforts aimed at combating climate change and fostering a more resilient and environmentally conscious future. This is because accessible green hydrogen can have a transformative impact on societies by mitigating environmental impacts, creating jobs, and ensuring energy security through diversified and sustainable energy solutions.”