Researcher Nicolas Boscher wants to use solar energy to produce hydrogen from water. His idea? To draw inspiration from the molecules that allow plants to grow and animals to breathe.
Generating electricity or hot water from the sun is a well-known idea. However, solar energy could also be used to turn water into hydrogen or turn carbon dioxide into synthetic methane. Thus, produce “solar fuels”.
This is the approach followed by Nicolas Boscher, a researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). He is developing new polymers capable of producing hydrogen in a clean and renewable way. This is crucial if it is ever to supply fuel cells to power cars, trucks and merchant ships over long distances. Nevertheless, doing so with a positive carbon balance requires being able to produce the gas cleanly, without greenhouse gas emissions.
➡️ First results are positive as the team has already been able to make thin porous layers that join two hydrogen atoms into a gas molecule.
Check out the research project: https://www.fnr.lu/research-with-impact-fnr-highlight/put-some-sunshine-in-your-engine/