New electrocatalyst opens new era of renewable energy

The two researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada, Curtis and Simon, recently made a landmark breakthrough. They invented a new type of “electrocatalyst” that can convert electricity into chemical energy very efficiently and inexpensively. This has taken an important step forward in the development of renewable energy and also opened up a whole new field for the catalyst research.

Let hydrogen energy is no longer expensive

An electrocatalyst is a special catalyst used to catalyze the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolyzer. The hydrogen produced by this reaction can be stored and converted into electricity at any time. The only by-product of the entire process is electrolyzed water, which can also be reused, making it the greenest energy system.

The researchers said that only a mini-refrigerator-sized electrolyzer and a few litres of water would be able to store and provide renewable energy for one household, eliminating the need for wasted energy from solar panels and wind turbines.

Moreover, there is hardly any carbon emissions from the electrolyzer's work. Although batteries can also be used to store excess power, battery storage is relatively inefficient and less environmentally friendly than hydrogen.

However, most of the existing electrocatalysts are crystalline metal oxides made of toxic rare metals such as lanthanum or cerium, which are very expensive. In search of a cheap and efficient electrocatalyst, scientists all over the world have worked hard for many years.

“This breakthrough provides a relatively inexpensive way to store and reuse wind energy and solar energy,” Curtis said. “To achieve a large-scale clean energy economy, our results mean a very important step. ”

If an ordinary person can also use an electrolyzer, he can store his own electricity or bought cheap electricity for future use. If there is more, it is also possible to “sell back” the electricity to the grid during peak times.

The new field of catalyst research

Simon, another researcher, added: "Our breakthrough has opened up a whole new field for the production of catalyst materials."

They combine the oxides of inexpensive, mineral-rich and non-toxic metals (such as iron, cobalt, and nickel) to form a very loose, amorphous material.

Compared to the highly aesthetic and symmetrical lens, this amorphous material is called “a pit full of holes”, but these “pits” precisely give this structure a very high catalytic ability. "Experiments have shown that the first-generation catalysts we developed have the same efficacy as those currently on the market that have been developed for 30 years," Simon said. "But the prices are as much as 1,000 times cheaper."

The researchers also stated that they can add any metal on the periodic table to the catalyst component. "Our manufacturing method opens up a whole new field for catalyst manufacture."

Currently, researchers are testing various catalyst formulations in order to gain a deeper understanding of this amorphous material and find the best catalyst. They are also trying to use nanotechnology to increase the efficiency of their catalysts. At the same time, they are also creating a photo-electrocatalyst that can use sunlight to make the electrolyser produce more hydrogen.

Curtis and Simon also registered patents for related technologies and established a company called "FireWater Fuel" in an attempt to commercialize their research. They hope to start large-scale commercialization of new catalysts in 2014 and let ordinary users use domestic electrolyzers in 2015. â– By whereabouts