Energy / Climate Change

May 31, 2006

 

New Photocatalyst Allows Release of Hydrogen from Water under Visible Light

Keywords: Environmental Technology Renewable Energy University / Research institute Water 

A research group led by Professor Kazunari Domen at Tokyo University and Professor Yasunobu Inoue at Nagaoka University of Technology has succeeded in developing a photocatalyst that efficiently decomposes water to produce hydrogen under visible light. The researchers reported their findings in the March 16, 2006, issue of British science journal Nature.

The newly developed catalyst is a solid solution of gallium nitride and zinc oxide, which is modified with a mixture of rhodium and chromium oxide nanoparticles on its surface. Because it reacts under visible light, which accounts for 90 percent of sunlight, the mixture is expected to function as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production.

As hydrogen is considered to be a primary energy source for the 21st century, this newly developed method of producing hydrogen from pure water without using fossil resources may assist in overcoming the current environmental and energy problems.


http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7082/abs/440295a.html
http://www.domen.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/research/index_photocatalyst.html

Posted: 2006/05/31 02:43:19 PM
Japanese version

 

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