Hydrogen Harvesting Device Stores Hydrogen in a Sponge

Sep-15-14 A water-splitting device that stores hydrogen in a sponge could one day allow hydrogen fuel to be harvested on Mars—or provide power to remote areas here on Earth.

Currently, creating hydrogen fuel from water requires a great deal of electricity. Renewable energy sources are not able to meet the need, since their power can be intermittent, and the recent 'artificial leaf' technology is dangerous to scale up.

The new harvesting device, created by Professor Lee Cronin and his team at Glasgow University, can operate on a single burst of power and still harvest more hydrogen gas than its contemporaries. It works by zapping the water with a single jolt of power to release the oxygen, after which a silicon-based chemical mediator acts as a 'liquid sponge' to absorb the loose protons and electrons. The mediator will turn blue when it is full, and the hydrogen can be harvested by pouring the liquid over a catalyst that allows the electrons and protons to recombine into hydrogen gas. And since its power needs are not constant, the device can be powered by alternative sources, such as solar or wind.

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[NEWSCIENTIST.COM]
[CHEM.GLA.AC.UK]

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