Research

Chemical Sciences

Title :

Green Hydrogen Production from seawater using Transition Metal Nitride Photocathode: A Pilot scale Approach

Area of research :

Chemical Sciences

Principal Investigator :

Prof. Jothivenkatachalam Kandasamy, University College Of Engineering, Bharathidasan Institute Of Technology (Bit) Campus, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu

Timeline Start Year :

2024

Timeline End Year :

2027

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

Hydrogen (H₂) is a promising renewable energy resource for the twenty-first era, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is an idea for converting solar energy into hydrogen fuel. However, large-scale hydrogen production requires reliable and efficient photoelectrodes and scalable PEC cells. sea water splitting is of great importance due to the presence of the natural electrolyte NaCl. several bottleneck concerns must be addressed in sea water splitting, such as selecting suitable electrode materials with high activity and super stability to endure harsh sea water conditions. This study proposes a novel approach for developing a nonprecious transition metal nitrides (TMNs) photocathode as a photoactive catalyst for the efficient generation of green hydrogen under direct sunlight irradiation. TMNs have excellent inherent catalytic activity, low resistance, and great stability. The addition of N atoms helps lower d-band occupation shortages by modifying the d-band electron state density of the relevant metal. The optimal catalyst design requires an M-H-weak metal (Co and Ni) paired with an MH-strong metal (Mo), resulting in the Ni₄Mo and Co₄Mo alloy's outstanding electrocatalytic HER activity. sophisticated instruments will be used to characterize the synthesized catalysts, including electrochemical LsV, CV, and EIs, and kinetic studies using Tafel slope, turn over frequency, and faradaic efficiency. The TMNs may reach maximum hydrogen production efficiency by increasing light harvesting capacity and conductivity.

Total Budget (INR):

35,24,453

Organizations involved