Two new hydrogen production methods have been discovered

Two new ways of obtaining hydrogen have been discovered, producing hydrogen from photosynthesis and through sound waves.

New technologies for hydrogen production

Considered one of the potential energy sources in the future, hydrogen can be obtained in several ways.

Although it is still too early to contemplate an immediate solution, the development of hydrogen as an energy source has made great strides in recent years.

Nowadays, there are more and more ways to get this item, which allows expanding its availability.

Learn about two new ways that have been discovered to produce hydrogen.

hydrogen from photosynthesis

A joint research team from the Universities of Florida and South Carolina has developed a new technique of artificial photosynthesis that, instead of generating carbohydrates, harnesses the sun’s energy to produce hydrogen.

This solution combines two molecules, a catalyst that moves electrons with light, in this case photoredox, and a fluorescent organic compound, naphthol.

When exposed to sunlight, each molecule absorbs photons and works together to generate hydrogen, mimicking the process of natural photosynthesis.

This system has an efficiency of only 5%, a value that may seem low, but it is promising for the future, and it is now necessary to find ways to improve efficiency and use the technology to produce other fuels.

Ultrasonic hydrogen

It comes from other new hydrogen production technologies RMIT Universityin Australia, where Yemima Ehrnst’s team managed to improve one of the traditional methods of producing this element by 14 times.

Through the use of high-frequency vibrations, generated by sound waves, it is possible to break up water molecules causing them to release a much larger amount of hydrogen.

To carry out electrolysis, it is necessary to pass electricity through the water through two electrodes that split the water molecules into two gases, oxygen and hydrogen, which will appear in the form of bubbles next to each electrode.

ultrasound The need to use corrosive electrolytes and expensive electrodes such as platinum or iridium is eliminatedallowing the use of much cheaper electrode materials, such as silver.

With this method, hydrogen can be obtained from any source, as it represents a net energy increase of 27%.

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