Russian and foreign chemists have created a catalyst based on copper, chromium, and sulfur for hydrogen production, which is comparable in efficiency to platinum water electrolysis systems, but is cheaper and approximately 1.5 times more effective than similar inexpensive solutions. This was reported by the Russian Science Foundation.
The combination of high activity, stability, and low cost makes this catalyst promising for industrial use. Its use can reduce the cost of clean fuel and make hydrogen energy more accessible.
Currently, the widespread use of hydrogen energy is constrained by the need to use expensive catalysts based on platinum and other noble metals. Scientists around the world have long been searching for alternatives, but in most cases, they are less effective.
A team of researchers from Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey has found that copper and chromium compounds can work much better if sulfur atoms are introduced into their structure. This increases the conductivity of the material and the strength of interaction with hydrogen ions, improving overall catalytic properties.
To create the new material, scientists first produced porous copper blanks, which were sequentially treated with solutions of chromium chloride and sodium sulfide, and then subjected to heat treatment at temperatures from 90 to 500 °C. As a result, the obtained catalyst was 1.5 times more effective than a conventional alloy of copper and chromium in splitting water.
Tests have confirmed that the new catalyst not only approaches the efficiency of platinum analogs but also maintains stability over a long period. This discovery could play a key role in reducing the cost of hydrogen production and increasing the economic attractiveness of hydrogen energy.
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