Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru and the National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) in Pune have developed a catalyst that can help produce hydrogen through electrolysis of water more efficiently than through some of the standard processes.
The newly designed catalyst, a mixture of cobalt, manganese, and tin (a Co-Mn-Sn alloy), has shown “better efficiency and stability” in generating hydrogen as compared to the individual metals or binary (Co-Mn, Mn-Sn, or Co-Sn) alloys. On Site Hydrogen Production
Water electrolysis, where hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, has been widely adopted as a sustainable approach to produce hydrogen across industries and clean energy technologies. Catalysts that accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode have a significant role to play in the efficiency of electrolysis.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) noted that while platinum-based catalysts are a popular choice, their adoption in water electrolysis is also limited because of the material’s scarcity, slow reaction rates, and high costs.
The work is in line with global efforts to replace precious platinum and platinum group metals in these processes with more earth-abundant materials.
The presence of manganese and tin in the alloy helped boost its performance in the HER. The study — by Athira Chandran M, Subash Cherumannil Karumuthil, Ashutosh K Singh, and Bhagavatula L V Prasad — was recently published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
DST said the innovation brings research closer to efficient and eco-friendly hydrogen production through water electrolysis.
“With the Co-Mn-Sn alloy catalyst, the obstacles to using renewable energy for large-scale hydrogen generation could be significantly reduced. As the demand for clean energy continues to rise, this advancement could pave the way for a greener and more sustainable future,” the department said in a statement.
Hydrogen Reforming The study was taken up as part of an ongoing project to develop multicomponent alloy catalysts, which is supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), an institution under DST.