LeCanadian

Top Menu

  • Login
  • Archives
  • Les Actualités
  • Advertising
  • Sexy Pages
  • Contact Us

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Foodie
  • Headline
  • Health
  • Editorials
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • UFO · Exopolitics
  • City
  • Sexuality
  • Dating
  • Login
  • Archives
  • Les Actualités
  • Advertising
  • Sexy Pages
  • Contact Us

logo

Header Banner

LeCanadian

  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Foodie
  • Headline
  • Health
  • Editorials
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • UFO · Exopolitics
  • City
  • Sexuality
  • Dating
  • Comment gérer un retard de vol ?

  • 5 ways sudoku boosts brain health

  • 10 tips to successfully market your law firm

  • 7 Amazing Gifts for Kids Who Like to Cook

  • Make Mortgage Overpayments Work for You

Health
Home›Health›New research simplifies the process of harvesting solar energy to generate fuels

New research simplifies the process of harvesting solar energy to generate fuels

By admin
April 20, 2019
2011
0
Share:

(Natural News) Harvesting hydrogen gas from water is going to be a much cheaper process thanks to the findings of New York-based researchers. They found a way to make the water splitting process much simpler, which could increase the overall efficiency of hydrogen fuel production and save on expended catalysts.

As its name implies, water splitting is a method where the water molecules are broken up into their component hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen atoms are collected and burned as a clean fuel that generates a lot of energy without producing air pollutants.

The process is helped along by catalysts that increase the chances of the chemical reactions that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. These catalysts are triggered by an external source of energy. For example, photocatalysts are activated by light.

The Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY Binghampton) research team developed a way to improve the efficiency of the photocatalyst used in water splitting. They published their findings in the Journal of American Chemical Society. (Related: Engineers develop revolutionary technology that uses solar energy to turn seawater into potable water.)

A new way to increase the performance of photocatalysts for water splitting

“For water splitting, we use visible light to generate photo-excited negative electrons and positive holes that are then separated in order to catalyze water into oxygen and hydrogen gases,” said SUNY Binghampton researcher Louis Piper. “Storing gases is more straightforward (and cheaper) than employing battery set-ups, so this approach has the benefit of clean energy harvesting and storage.”

Support our mission to keep you informed: Discover the extraordinary benefits of turmeric gummy bears and organic “turmeric gold” liquid extract, both laboratory tested for heavy metals, microbiology and safety. Naturally high in potent curcuminoids. Delicious formulations. All purchases support this website (as well as your good health). See availability here.

Piper and his colleagues wanted to increase the efficiency of the vanadium pentoxide (M-V205) used for splitting water. This particular photocatalyst is shaped like a wire and is measured in mere nanometers.

Their chosen method of improving the catalyst involved “doping.” They added metal ions into the nanostructure of vanadium pentoxide, which served as quantum dots that improved the electronic structure of the catalyst.

The researchers found that doping the photocatalyst increased the highest filled energy levels in the catalyst. The photo-excited electrons and positive holes produced by visible light would split apart faster.

“Using computation and chemical intuition, we predicted doping with Sn2+ ions would result in excellent energy alignment and efficient charge separation,” Piper explained. “We saw a ten-fold increase in the amount of solar-harvested hydrogen we obtained.”

Improved photocatalyst lasts longer and can be used more often

Another benefit to doping is that the holes moved from the quantum dots to the nanowires with greater efficiency. Not only did the more efficient movement increase the energy released by the process, it also extended the useful lifespan of the photocatalyst itself.

If large amounts of the holes accumulated on the quantum dots, the catalyst would undergo a parasitic reaction called photo-corrosion. The light would cause the structure to start deteriorating, making it less effective with each use until it finally broke down.

By reducing the amount of positive holes that remained on the quantum dots, the chances of photo-corrosion are decreased. The vanadium pentoxide photocatalyst will last longer and can be used multiple times.

Next up for Piper’s team is to improve the production of hydrogen gas during the water splitting process. They are thinking of adding platinum atoms to the quantum dots of the vanadium pentoxide photocatalyst.

The platinum is expected to serve as a catalytic site for the electrons. However, the noble metal is also very expensive, so the researchers are looking for cheaper alternatives.

Post Views: 2,098
Previous Article

A pension time bomb is waiting to ...

Next Article

7 Science-backed benefits that will make you ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Health

    Spending at least 2 hours in nature per week improves overall health and psychological well-being, shows study

    February 7, 2020
    By admin
  • Health

    COVID-19: The pandemic was bioengineered documents new book

    January 5, 2021
    By admin
  • Health

    Acupuncture creates an anti-inflammatory immune response to clear warts

    June 21, 2019
    By admin
  • Health

    Is 5G Worth the Risks?

    April 6, 2020
    By admin
  • Health

    Sweet, sweet relief: Try this recipe for a natural honey spread that can help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms

    October 2, 2019
    By admin
  • Health

    If you refuse coronavirus vaccine plans in Spain, you’ll be targeted and put on a government list

    January 12, 2021
    By admin


AWeber Smart Designer




Popupar Articles

  • Week
  • Month

Week

Sorry. No data so far.

Month

Sorry. No data so far.

Popular on The Le Canadian

  1. Salon du Livre d'Ottawa
  2. Ottawa Book Expo
  3. AgoraCosmopolitan
  4. Agora Publishing Consortium
  5. Le Journal Canadien
  6. Dominion: Food News
  7. LeCanadian.com
  8. The Ottawa Star
  9. Capitalistocracy.com
  10. Agora Books Author House
  11. First Nations Press
  12. Toronto Digital Flog Newspaper
  13. The Etiquette Show
  14. Ontario People's Front

Recent Posts

  • Comment gérer un retard de vol ?
  • 5 ways sudoku boosts brain health
  • 10 tips to successfully market your law firm
  • 7 Amazing Gifts for Kids Who Like to Cook
  • Make Mortgage Overpayments Work for You
  • Son shares warning for immunocompromised after fully-vaccinated Tampa Bay dad dies from COVID-19
  • Catching Covid-19 after being vaccinated isn’t a myth. It happened to me
  • My COVID Story: “I got COVID after being fully vaccinated”
  • Albertans fully vaccinated for COVID-19 urged to stay cautious during pandemic’s 4th wave
  • I got the vaccine – and then I got Covid: Readers share their stories

Most Viewed Posts

No Posts found

Visitors

  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Foodie
  • Headline
  • Health
  • Editorials
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • UFO · Exopolitics
  • City
  • Sexuality
  • Dating