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Environment News
The Development of a Revolutionary
Nanomaterial Technology to Produce a Cleaner
Fuel for a Cleaner Future.
Hydrogen, the planet's lightest and most profuse element, offers
enormous potential as a clean energy source (Vaughan, 2020) to
power, for instance, vehicles that run on fuel cells that contain
compressed hydrogen (Love, 2017). Producing hydrogen from
seawater is feasible, yet the electricity needed renders the process
expensive (phys.org, 2017). As a result, a new and innovative method
may have resolved this case. Researchers have devised the
application of solar energy to extract hydrogen from seawater at a
lower cost and more efficiently through a newly developed hybrid
nanomaterial (Nield, 2017). This innovation, demonstrating the SHE
development concept, can lead to environmental, economic and
production efficiency improvements in numerous regions (phys.org,
Figure 1: Hydrogen Image (Love, 2017)
2017).
Chemistry Concepts
Typically measuring between 1 and 100 nanometers, nanomaterials
exhibit a small size, expansive surface area, exceptional
biocompatibility, and high electrical conductivity, making them
valuable across multiple domains (Salomão, 2023). The new hydrogen
production method extracts hydrogen fuel from seawater using
sunlight, employing nanomaterials as photocatalysts (Nield, 2017). A
photocatalyst absorbs light, generating electron-hole pairs that drive
chemical reactions, converting contaminants into environmentally
friendly products (ScienceDirect, 2023). It restores its chemical structure
after each cycle, enabling continuous catalysis, specifically generating
hydrogen gas from seawater (phys.org, 2017). The hybrid material
consists of nanocavities etched onto an ultrathin film of titanium
dioxide (TiO2), a common photocatalyst. Studies show that the Ti-O
bond in TiO2 exhibits both ionic and covalent characteristics (Byjus,
Figure 2: Image of titanium disulphide and its structure.
2024). These nanocavities are coated with nanoflakes of molybdenum
disulphide (MoS2) (Nield, 2017; phys.org, 2017). The crystal structure of
MoS2 features hexagonally arranged sulphur atoms flanking a
hexagonal plane of molybdenum atoms. Strong covalent bonds exist
between sulphur and molybdenum atoms within these planes, while
weak dispersion forces hold the layers together, allowing mechanical
separation into two-dimensional sheets (Safder, 2021).
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Development
Hydrogen has great potential as a clean energy source, such as powering vehicles with fuel cells that produce
electricity. However, traditional hydrogen production methods are costly and environmentally damaging (Love, 2017).
As a result, scientists have developed a nanomaterial that can release hydrogen from seawater more cheaply and
efficiently than existing methods (Nield, 2017). One traditional method, steam-methane reforming, extracts hydrogen
by using energy from fossil fuels (Energy.gov, 2024). This process is not only expensive, requiring significant space,
labour, and construction materials, but it is also harmful to the atmosphere, releasing greenhouse gases like carbon
dioxide (CO2) and contributing to climate change. In contrast, this TiO2 hybrid nanomaterial development acts as a
photocatalyst, using solar energy to produce hydrogen from seawater (Vaughan, 2020). By significantly enhancing
catalytic performance, this innovation allows more hydrogen to be produced at a lower cost, benefitting a region's
economy by generating equal or greater amounts of hydrogen fuel with less financial strain and fewer construction
materials. Additionally, by producing hydrogen gas using natural resources and without releasing unwanted gases,
these nanomaterials can reduce society’s reliance on fossil fuels, thereby benefiting the environment through a
crucial reduction in carbon footprints. Hence, this development has a noteworthy impact on the environment, the
economy of adopting regions, and overall production efficiency.
Certain traditional methods, such as solar hydrogen electrolysis,
produce hydrogen from renewable resources without harmful
byproducts (Via Aurea, 2024). However, storing electricity in batteries
for this process can be inefficient due to degradation, affecting the
efficiency of the electrolyser. As a result, the development of
nanomaterials that directly use the sun’s energy to facilitate
chemical reactions, extracting hydrogen from within seawater would
substantially benefit the economy and procedure efficiency of a
particular region that undertakes it (Love, 2017). This is due to not
needing batteries to store electricity for the electrolyser and instead,
directly transporting easily stored hydrogen gas in shipping tankers
for wider usage around the region and elsewhere, promoting high
efficiency and economic boost (Via Aurea, 2024). Furthermore,
researchers believe that fabricating the photocatalyst for the
nanomaterial would not be difficult and time-consuming, as there
are only a few resources required that are widely available to be
used for repeated construction (Love, 2017). This has a positive
Figure 3: Image of solar panels for sunlight absorption. impact on a region’s economy constructing large machinery such as
the electrolyser to produce hydrogen fuel would not be needed,
saving space and investment costs. Additionally, this development
also enables the direct use of sunlight and seawater to produce
hydrogen gas, aligning with environmental sustainability goals by
providing a cleaner and more streamlined approach to hydrogen
fuel production.
As the newly devised nanomaterial is composed of a photocatalyst that captures a broader spectrum of light than
other photocatalysts, this development can maximise the use of sunlight’s energy for hydrogen fuel production
(Love, 2017). Due to this, if the technology is adopted and commercialised in tropical climate regions closer to the
equator, these regions likely experience positive economic impacts because of the abundance of seawater and
sunlight, ensuring continuous spurring of chemical reactions when light hits the sea's surface (Vaughan, 2020).
Hence, the photocatalytic processes in seawater to extract hydrogen are boosted through the nanomaterial’s
increased absorption of sunlight, producing an increased level of hydrogen fuel for the local communities of those
tropical regions (Vaughan, 2020). However, a drawback of the development is that sunlight and seawater, the two
essential natural elements required to extract and produce hydrogen fuel through the devised nanomaterial, are
unfortunately scarce in regions with cold and/or dry climates. Consequently, the application of this innovation in
such areas is unlikely to be effective, requiring alternative methods such as fossil fuel reformation processes to
produce hydrogen fuel that may cause negative economic impacts along with contributing to the regions’
atmospheric deterioration, leading to negative environmental impacts.
So...what now?
The new hybrid nanomaterial technology for solar-powered hydrogen production from seawater is a significant
advancement over traditional methods. Utilizing a TiO2-based photocatalyst, it addresses the high costs and
environmental damage of conventional hydrogen production like steam-methane reforming. This technology
maximizes sunlight absorption, benefiting tropical regions with abundant sunlight and seawater, and boosting local
economies through increased hydrogen fuel production with less financial strain. By eliminating the need for battery
storage, it offers a more streamlined and efficient process, enhancing both economic and procedural efficiency. This
development not only improves hydrogen production efficiency and economic viability but also aligns with
environmental sustainability goals, offering a cleaner, more cost-effective global energy solution.
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References
Byjus. “Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) - Structure, Properties, and Uses.” BYJUS, 2024,
byjus.com/chemistry/titanium-dioxide/. Accessed 11 May 2024.
Florida, University of Central. “New Nanomaterial Can Extract Hydrogen Fuel
from Seawater.” Phys.org, 4 Oct. 2017, phys.org/news/2017-10-nanomaterial-
hydrogen-fuel-seawater.html. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
Love, Tessa. “Innovative Method Pulls Hydrogen Fuel from Seawater Using
Only Sunshine.” Green Matters, 9 Oct. 2017,
www.greenmatters.com/renewables/2017/10/09/Z1izlU9/innovative-method-
pulls-hydrogen-fuel-from-seawater-using-only-sunshine. Accessed 14 Apr.
2024.
Nield, David. “Awesome New Method Can Pull Hydrogen Fuel from Seawater
Using Only Sunshine.” ScienceAlert, 2017, www.sciencealert.com/new-
nanomaterial-can-pull-hydrogen-out-of-seawater-using-sunshine-alone.
Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. “Hydrogen Production:
Natural Gas Reforming.” Energy.gov, 2024,
www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-natural-gas-
reforming. Accessed 7 June 2024.
s.r.o, Via Aurea. ““What’s a Solar Hydrogen Fuel Cell?”: New Technologies
Explained.” Www.horizoneducational.com, 2024,
www.horizoneducational.com/what-s-a-solar-hydrogen-fuel-cell-new-
technologies-explained/t1529?currency=usd#. Accessed 7 June 2024.
Safder, Arslan. “Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) Properties and Applications.”
Nanografi Nano Technology, 4 Nov. 2021, nanografi.com/blog/molybdenum-
disulfide-mos2-properties-and-applications/. Accessed 11 May 2024.
Salomão, Angélica. “What Are Nanomaterials and Why Are They Important?”
Mind the Graph Blog, 23 Feb. 2023, mindthegraph.com/blog/what-are-
nanomaterials/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
ScienceDirect. “Photocatalysts - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.”
Www.sciencedirect.com, 2023, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-
science/photocatalysts. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
Vaughan, Adam. “What Is Hydrogen Fuel?” New Scientist, 2020,
www.newscientist.com/definition/hydrogen-fuel/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
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