Green hydrogen gains ground in industry, transportation

Green hydrogen is gaining momentum as a clean and sustainable fuel that could revolutionize industries and transportation. 

Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru, India, have recently unveiled a scalable, next-generation device that produces green hydrogen by splitting water molecules using only solar energy—completely eliminating the need for fossil fuels or other energy-intensive methods, Caliber.Az reprots per Interesting Engineering.

CeNS, an autonomous institute under India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST), developed a silicon-based photoanode employing an innovative n-i-p heterojunction design. This structure layers n-type titanium dioxide (TiO2), intrinsic (undoped) silicon, and p-type nickel oxide (NiO) semiconductor films to enhance charge separation and transport efficiency. The materials were deposited via magnetron sputtering, a scalable, industry-ready technique ensuring precision.

According to the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, this design improves light absorption, accelerates charge transport, and reduces recombination losses—key factors for efficient solar-to-hydrogen conversion. The device achieved an impressive surface photovoltage of 600 mV and a low onset potential around 0.11 VRHE, marking high effectiveness in solar-driven hydrogen generation. It also demonstrated remarkable stability, operating continuously for over 10 hours in alkaline conditions with only a 4 per cent performance drop—a rare accomplishment for silicon-based photoelectrochemical systems.

Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, the project lead, said, “By selecting smart materials and combining them into a heterostructure, we have created a device that not only boosts performance but can also be produced on a large scale. This brings us one step closer to affordable, large-scale solar-to-hydrogen energy systems.”

Globally, advances in green hydrogen continue. Earlier this month, researchers at South Korea’s Hanyang University ERICA campus announced cobalt phosphide-based nanomaterials with enhanced performance and lower costs than traditional electrocatalysts, promising large-scale hydrogen production breakthroughs.

With continued innovation, green hydrogen is poised to play a crucial role in sustainable energy solutions worldwide.

By Naila Huseynova