Japan has possibly discovered the holy grail of electrolysis. In an incredible discovery, scientists at the RIKEN Institute have come up with a cost-effective and efficient substitute for the costly rare metals in the production of hydrogen. They have reengineered the structure of a common metal, manganese, to form a new catalyst that generates up to 1,000 percent more hydrogen than existing non-noble metal catalysts.
Green hydrogen, which is produced by electrolyzing water with renewable energy, is generally regarded as the future of clean energy. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers have become a popular choice because of their efficiency and sensitivity to variable power sources. Their reliance on rare and expensive metals such as platinum or iridium has, however, hampered their mass adoption.
The innovation of the RIKEN team is a solution to this problem. The new catalyst is more stable and resistant to acidic conditions because it has a stronger bond with oxygen atoms by altering the lattice structure of manganese oxide (MnO?). Under laboratory conditions, the catalyst was able to sustain a current density of 200 mA/cm², or more than 1,000 hours, compared to the current density of 200 mA/cm², which normally needs iridium, and generated 10 times more hydrogen than other materials.
A study by Nature Catalysis found that this MnO? catalyst enhances the longevity of other inexpensive materials by 40 times. This qualifies it as a potential replacement of iridium altogether, slashing the expenses dramatically.
Though this finding is still at the experimental stage, scientists are hopeful. They feel that additional improvements to the structure of manganese may open up even more efficiencies, bringing the hydrogen economy one step closer to large-scale, sustainable production. Should it work, the innovation of Japan would change the world of green energy and speed up the process of abandoning fossil fuels.
