Researchers Develop Super Efficient Catalyst To Store Green Energy

Natural sources are generally uncontrollable and put limits on ways in which humans can manipulate them. Renewable energy, though prescribed, makes it very difficult for systems that are trying to store them as wind or sun or water can’t be controlled completely.

A team comprising Ted Sargent of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and his subordinates could materialize an artificial catalyst that has the capability to segregate hydrogen and oxygen from water just like a tree does during photosynthesis. Oxygen can be released into the atmosphere and hydrogen can be reused to form hydrogen fuel cells.


Sargent explained that present day solar cells depend upon batteries to store energy, which are inefficient, relative to the demand. Also, the electrolysis of water generates H2 and O2 but at an expense of a huge of amount of applied electricity. On the other hand, the present catalyst is three times more efficient than the contemporary catalysts in terms of efficiency.

Made with inexpensive tungsten, iron and cobalt, the catalyst exhibited the ability to work continuously for more than 500 hours. After being sure of its theoretical abilities, the team blended multiples metals homogeneously which enabled them to overcome the limitations of one single metal and strengthen their usefulness in union. The research was supported by the Ontario Research Fund--Research Excellence Program, NSERC, the CIFAR Bio-Inspired Solar Energy Program and the U.S. Department of Energy. The complete research was published yesterday in the journal “Science”.

Source: Saving sunshine for a rainy day: New catalyst offers efficient storage of alternative energies - U of T Engineering News