Promoting the Hydrogen Economy with novel cost-effective carbon-free energy types

The recently concluded COP28 Climate Conference highlighted the significant gaps that need addressing to effectively tackle climate change. Various measures to mitigate climate change can be translated in, for example, an increased use of renewable energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, leveraging new technologies, and changes in human behaviour toward sustainable practices.

Undoubtedly, the use of renewable and sustainable energy resources can drastically contribute

towards the reduction in carbon gas emission. Over the past few decades, advancements in

renewable-energy technologies such as; solar thermal power for heating and cooling

applications, marine power onshore and offshore wind power, geothermal power, hydropower

concentrated solar power, biofuel and biomass power, photovoltaic solar power have been achieved - resulting in heightened interest in both demand and supply. Specifically, photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell (i.e., photovoltaic (PV) system close competitor), offers a much cheaper alternative for hydrogen production whilst exhibiting higher solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies.

In the referenced paper below, the most promising candidate material required for photoelectrochemical dissociation of water to hydrogen was selected. Since recent studies have suggested that the simultaneous application of external electric fields may enhance the PEC process, we conducted nonequilibriom ab-initio molecular dynamics (NE-AIMD) simulations, focusing on hematite-water interfaces at room temperature under progressively stronger electric fields.

It is believed that the molecular-simulation techniques and results presented in the referenced paper below will not only contribute towards bridging the lacuna in knowledge of our understanding relating to tangible progress necessary in miniaturising harmful green-house gas emissions, but would achieve notably, the promotion of the Hydrogen Economy with novel cost-effective carbon-free energy

types, precisely photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting for green hydrogen production, ultimately

leading closer to humans world-wide reliance on cleaner energy sources.

Reference

[1] Mary T. Ajide and Niall J. English, Nonequilibrium Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Water Splitting at Fe2O3−Hematite/Water Interfaces in an External Electric Field, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C (2023), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c05119 

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