Bio-inspired catalyst to lower cost of producing hydrogen
February 1, 2013
Bio-inspired iron-based catalyst for producing hydrogen. Key atoms and groups are indicated. The color convention throughout is Fe atoms, brown; S atoms, yellow; P atoms, violet; C atoms, gray; N atoms, blue; O atoms, red; and H atoms, white. (Credit: Patrick H.-L. Sit et al./PNAS)
Hydrogen has tremendous potential as an eco-friendly fuel, but it is expensive to produce. Now researchers at Princeton University and Rutgers University have moved a step closer to harnessing nature to produce hydrogen.
The team, led by Princeton chemistry professor Annabella Selloni, takes inspiration from bacteria that make hydrogen from water, using enzymes called di-iron hydrogenases.
Cheap components = cost-effective
They used computer models to figure out how to incorporate the magic of these enzymes into the design of practical synthetic catalysts that humans can use to produce hydrogen from water.
The catalysts designed so far are susceptible to poisoning by the oxygen present during the reaction.
By making changes to the catalyst to improve the stability of the structure in water, the researchers found that they had also created a catalyst that is tolerant to oxygen without sacrificing efficiency.
The artificial catalyst could also be made from abundant and cheap components, such as iron, indicating that the catalyst could be a cost-effective way of producing hydrogen.
The team conducted their research in silico — that is, using computer modeling. The goal is to learn enough about how these catalysts work to someday create working catalysts that can make vast quantities of inexpensive hydrogen for use in vehicles and electricity production.
Comments (4)
by Renzo Canepari
If memory serves me correctly, a few years ago, the physicists at CAL TECH determined that hydrogen depletes the ozone layer.
by Paolo
Since energy of water is lower than energy of hydrohen (infact you oxydate hydrogen to obtain energy+water and not the opposite) the system is require some energy to work. Where does it come from? The Enzyme is only making things faster but cannot invert thermodynamic arrow i think
by Mjr_Dzaster
Cool. Now if we can just convince the IAEA to wake the @#$% up and stop trying (forcing) nation states into “buying into” the use and production of so-called “cheap energy” from the INSANE use of nuclear energy via the most deadly, poisonous, disastrous, erroneous, arrogant and highly ignorant use of this most dangerous form of energy production.
Hydrogen really is a great source for energy production.
by Gorden Russell
Way ta go, Mjr Dzaster. And if we can use this in our own garage, there will be fewer tank trucks in the way on the Interstate.