idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Scientists have discovered an exciting new approach to generating clean hydrogen energy using a remarkable class of crystals that harness the quantum properties of electrons.
Water splitting - breaking water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen - is a promising pathway to sustainable energy. However, this process has long been challenged by slow chemical kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction that make hydrogen production inefficient and costly.
A groundbreaking international research team has now uncovered a game-changing solution. By using special crystals with unique intrinsic "chiral" structures - meaning they have a distinctive left or right-handed atomic arrangement - researchers have dramatically improved the water splitting process.
The topological chiral crystals, composed of rhodium and elements like silicon, tin, and bismuth, possess an extraordinary ability to manipulate electron spin. This quantum mechanical property allows electrons transfer to the oxygen generation in a highly efficient manner, significantly accelerating the overall chemical reaction.
"These crystals are essentially quantum machines," says Dr. Xia Wang, lead researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids. "By leveraging the unique spin properties of electrons, we've created a catalyst that outperforms traditional materials by a factor of 200." Prof. Binghai Yan adds: “We are aware that our catalysts still contain rare elements, however we are confident that based on our design scheme we will come up soon with highly efficient and also sustainable catalysts”
This breakthrough isn't just a scientific curiosity - it represents a potential leap forward in renewable energy technology. The new catalyst could make hydrogen production faster, more efficient, and more economically viable, bringing us closer to a clean energy future. The research, conducted by scientists from the Max Planck Institute and the Weizmann Institute of Science, demonstrates how cutting-edge quantum physics can solve real-world energy challenges.
Xia.Wang@cpfs.mpg.de
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41560-024-01674-9
https://www.cpfs.mpg.de/3695333/20241125?c=1622021
Hydrolysis and possible applications
MPI CPfS
OpenAI DALL-E
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students
Chemistry, Physics / astronomy
transregional, national
Scientific Publications
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
