Producing clean H2 fuel from solar energy and seawater using artificial leaves is considered a potential technology that can simultaneously solve the problem of increasing energy consumption and limit environment impact due to current fossil fuel use. Some artificial leaf technologies have been announced, which can achieve a light-H2 conversion efficiency of nearly 30%, far exceeding the target of 10% for commercialization. However, current artificial leaves do not meet the required durability: they are destroyed in a few dozen or a few hours of work, while for industrial application their lifespan requires at least 5 years.
Therefore, the PRE-H2 project aims to study the destruction mechanism of the components constituting artificial leaves (catalytic materials, photocatalysts for deprotonation reactions to create H2 and water oxidation) under real working conditions using real-time Electrochemical – Spectroscopic analysis methods. From the mechanical knowledge gained, develop plans to protect catalytic and photocatalytic materials to extend the working life of artificial leaves.
The PRE-H2 project is expected to be an important preparatory step for the Chemistry in Energy Conversion and Storage (CECS) research group at the University of Science and Technology Hanoi (USTH) towards Fabrication and testing of large-sized artificial leaf prototype.
Main tasks of the project
(i) Develop an enhanced destructive corrosion method that allows quickly determining the most suitable catalytic and photocatalytic materials for manufacturing artificial leaves in industry;
(ii) Research the destruction mechanism of the most potential catalytic and photocatalytic materials during the working process, using a combination of electrochemical analysis and Raman, UV-Vis or Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM);
(iii) Testing measures to protect catalytic and photocatalytic materials to extend their working life;
(iv) Manufacture complete artificial leaves using the best catalytic and photocatalytic materials and study the working mechanism of artificial leaves.
Project impact
The project is expected to contribute to a fundamental understanding of the mechanism and causes of corrosion and destruction of artificial leaves and its components, thereby contributing to faster promotion of research and development activities towards artificial leaf technology to meet the requirements of H2 fuel production in industry.
The project will contribute to building a strong research team, reaching international standards in the field of H2 energy at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Through the project, young researchers (Postdoc, PhD) will also be trained, contributing to the development of the energy storage and conversion materials research community in Vietnam.