NH_(4)Cl-assisted synthesis of TaON nanoparticle applied to photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolution from water

Oxynitride semiconductors are promising photocatalyst materials for visible light-driven water splitting,while the synthesis of well crystalized oxynitride still remains challenge.In present work,narrow-bandgap TaON nanoparticles are synthesized via heating a vacuum-sealed mixture of KTaO_(3),Ta and NH_(4)Cl.This method possesses multiple advantages in terms of lower calcination parameter,higher N conversion efficiency and superior photocatalytic activity in comparison with the traditional thermal ammonolysis using NH_(3) gas as a nitrogen source.Through the analysis of intermediates produced upon the elevation of heating temperature,a gas-solid-phase reaction between TaCl_(5) and Ta_(2)O_(5) is demonstrated as the final step,which is conducive to decreasing thermal energy barrier and accelerating nitridation process.Precise control of preparation conditions,including calcination temperature and duration,allows for the regulation of surface O/N ratio of TaON particles to unity,resulting in optimized photocat-alytic activity.Photoelectrochemical assessment and intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy provide convincing evidence for improved charge transfer effciency of photoexcited holes at TaON surface.A Z-scheme overall water splitting is accomplished by employing the TaON as an effective oxygen evolution photocatalyst,SrTiO_(3):Rh as a hydrogen evolution photocatalyst,and reduced graphene oxide(rGO)as a solid-state electron mediator.This work presents a promising strategy for the synthesis of high-quality oxynitride materials in application to photocatalytic water splitting.

Nano-bubble hydrogen water:An effective therapeutic agent against inflammation related disease caused by viral infection in zebrafish model

Since the anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen has been widely known,it was supposed that hydrogen could suppress tissue damage by inhibiting virus-related inflammatory reactions.However,hydrogen is slightly soluble in water,which leads to poor effect of oral hydrogen-rich water therapy.In this study,the nano-bubble hydrogen water(nano-HW)(about 0.7 ppm)was prepared and its therapeutic effect against viral infection was investigated by utilizing spring viraemia of carp virus(SVCV)-infected zebrafish as model.Three-month-old zebrafish were divided into nano-HW treatment-treated group and aquaculture water treated group(control group).The results revealed that the cumulative mortality rate of SVCV-infected zebrafish was reduced by 40%after treatment with nano-bubble hydrogen water,and q RT-PCR results showed that SVCV replication was significantly inhibited.Histopathological examination staining showed that SVCV infection caused tissue damage was greatly alleviated after treatment with nano-bubble hydrogen water.Futhermore,SVCV infection caused reactive oxygen species(ROS)accumulation was significantly reduced upon nano-HW treatment.The level of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β,IL-8,and TNF-αwas remarkably reduced in the nano-HW-treated group in vivo and in vitro.Taken together,our data demonstrated for the first time that nano-HW could inhibit the inflammatory response caused by viral infection in zebrafish,which suggests that nano-HW can be applied to antiviral research,and provides a novel therapeutic strategy for virus-caused inflammation related disease.

Latest progress in hydrogen production from solar water splitting via photocatalysis,photoelectrochemical,and photovoltaic-photoelectrochemical solutions

Hydrogen production via solar water splitting is regarded as one of the most promising ways to utilize solar energy and has attracted more and more attention. Great progress has been made on photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production in the past few years. This review summarizesthe very recent progress (mainly in the last 2–3 years) on three major types of solar hydrogenproduction systems: particulate photocatalysis (PC) systems, photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems,and photovoltaic‐photoelectrochemical (PV‐PEC) hybrid systems. The solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH)conversion efficiency of PC systems has recently exceeded 1.0% using a SrTiO3:La,Rh/Au/BiVO4:Mophotocatalyst, 2.5% for PEC water splitting on a tantalum nitride photoanode, and reached 22.4%for PV‐PEC water splitting using a multi‐junction GaInP/GaAs/Ge cell and Ni electrode hybrid system.The advantages and disadvantages of these systems for hydrogen production via solar watersplitting, especially for their potential demonstration and application in the future, are briefly describedand discussed. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for solar water splitting solutions are also forecasted.

Morphological and molecular response of small intestine to lactulose and hydrogen-rich water in female piglets fed Fusarium mycotoxins contaminated diet

Background: Following the intake of Fusarium mycotoxin-contaminated feed,small intestines may be exposed to high levels of toxic substances that can potentially damage intestinal functions in livestock.It is well known that Fusarium mycotoxins will lead a breakdown of the normally impeccable epithelial barrier,resulting in the development of a "leaky" gut.H2 administration with different methods has been proved definitely potentials to prevent serious intestinal diseases.The goal of this study is to investigate the roles of lactulose(LAC) and hydrogenrich water(HRW) in preventing intestinal dysfunction in piglets fed Fusarium mycotoxin-contaminated feed.Methods: A total of 24 female piglets were evenly assigned to 4 groups: negative control(NC) group,mycotoxincontaminated(MC) feed group,MC feed with LAC treatment(MC + LAC),and MC feed with HRW treatment(MC +HRW),respectively.Piglets in the NC group were fed uncontaminated control diet,while remaining piglets were fed Fusarium mycotoxin-contaminated diet.For the NC and MC groups,10 mL/kg body weight(BW) of hydrogen-free water(HFW) was orally administrated to piglets twice daily;while in the MC + LAC and MC + HRW groups,piglets were treated with the same dose of LAC solution(500 mg/kg BW) and HRW twice daily,respectively.On d 25,serum was collected and used for biochemical analysis.Intestinal tissues were sampled for morphological examination as well as relative genes and protein expression analysis.Results: Our data showed that Fusarium mycotoxins induced higher serum diamine oxidase(DAO) activities(P < 0.05),D-lactic acid levels(P < 0.01),and endotoxin status(P < 0.01),lower villus height(P < 0.01) and ratio of villus height to crypt depth(P < 0.05) in small intestine,greater apoptosis index and higher mRNA expression related to tight junctions(P < 0.05).In addition,the distribution and down-regulation of claudin-3(CLDN3) protein in the small intestinal was also observed.As expected,oral administrations of HRW and LAC were found to remarkably provide beneficial effects against Fusarium mycotoxin-induced apoptosis and intestinal leaking.Moreover,either HRW or LAC treatments were also revealed to prevent abnormal intestinal morphological changes,disintegrate tight junctions,and restore the expression and distribution of CLDN3 protein in the small intestinal mucosal layer in female piglets that were fed Fusarium mycotoxins contaminated diet.Conclusions: Our data suggest that orally administrations of HRW and LAC result in less Fusarium mycotoxininduced apoptosis and leak in the small intestine.Either HRW or LAC treatments could prevent the abnormal changes of intestinal morphology and molecular response of tight junctions as well as restore the distribution and expression of CLDN3 protein of small intestinal mucosa layer in female piglets that were fed Fusarium mycotoxins contaminated diet.

Effects of alkaline-electrolyzed and hydrogen-rich water,in a high-fat-diet nonalcoholic fatty liver disease mouse model

AIM To identify the effect of hydrogen-rich water(HRW) and electrolyzed-alkaline water(EAW) on high-fat-induced non-alcoholic fatty acid disease in mice.METHODS Mice were divided into four groups:(1) Regular diet(RD)/regular water(RW);(2) high-fat diet(HFD)/RW;(3) RD/EAW; and(4) HFD/EAW. Weight and body composition were measured. After twelve weeks, animals were sacrificed, and livers were processed for histology and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. A similar experiment was performed using HRW to determine the influence and importance of molecular hydrogen(H2) in EAW. Finally, we compared the response of hepatocytes isolated from mice drinking HRW or RW to palmitate overload.RESULTS EAW had several properties important to the study:(1) pH = 11;(2) oxidation-reduction potential of-495 mV; and(3) H2 = 0.2 mg/L. However, in contrast to other studies, there were no differences between the groups drinking EAW or RW in either the RD or HFD groups. We hypothesized that the null result was due to low H2 concentrations. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of RW and low and high HRW concentrations(L-HRW = 0.3 mg H2/L and H-HRW = 0.8 mg H2/L, respectively) in mice fed an HFD. Compared to RW and L-HRW, H-HRW resulted in a lower increase in fat mass(46% vs 61%), an increase in lean body mass(42% vs 28%), and a decrease in hepatic lipid accumulation(P < 0.01). Lastly, exposure of hepatocytes isolated from mice drinking H-HRW to palmitate overload demonstrated a protective effect from H2 by reducing hepatocyte lipid accumulation in comparison to mice drinking regular water.CONCLUSION H2 is the therapeutic agent in electrolyzed-alkaline water and attenuates HFD-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

Hydrogen generation from polyvinyl alcohol-contaminated wastewater by a process of supercritical water gasification

Gasification of polyvinyl alcohol （PVA）-contaminated wastewater in supercritical water （SCW） was investigated in a continuous flow reactor at 723-873 K, 20-36 MPa and residence time of 20-450 s. The gas and liquid products were analyzed by GC/TCD, and TOC analyzer. The main gas products were H2, CH4, CO and CO2. Pressure change had no significant influence on gasification efficiency. Higher temperature and longer residence time enhanced gasification efficiency, and lower temperature favored the production of H2. The effects of KOH catalyst on gas product composition were studied, and gasification efficiency were analyzed. The TOC removal efficiency （RTOC）, carbon gasification ratio （RCG） and hydrogen gasification ratio （RHG） were up to 96.00%, 95.92% and 126.40% at 873 K and 60 s, respectively, which suggests PVA can be completely gasified in SCW. The results indicate supercritical water gasification for hydrogen generation is a promising process for the treatment ofPVA wastewater.

Water-involving transfer hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles over a bifunctional MoNi_(4)electrode

A room-temperature electrochemical strategy for hydrogenation(deuteration)and reverse dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles over a bifunctional MoNi_(4)electrode is developed,which includes the hydrogenation of quinoxaline using H2O as the hydrogen source with 80%Faradaic efficiency and the reverse dehydrogenation of hydrogen-rich 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxaline with up to 99%yield and selectivity.The in situ generated active hydrogen atom(H^(*))is plausibly involved in the hydrogenation of quinoxaline,where a consecutive hydrogen radical coupled electron transfer pathway is proposed.Notably,the MoNi_(4)alloy exhibits efficient quinoxaline hydrogenation at an overpotential of only 50 mV,owing to its superior water dissociation ability to provide H^(*)in alkaline media.In situ Raman tests indicate that the Ni^(Ⅱ)/Ni^(Ⅲ)redox couple can promote the dehydrogenation process,representing a promising anodic alternative to low-value oxygen evolution.Impressively,electrocatalytic deuteration is easily achieved with up to 99%deuteration ratios using D2O.This method is capable of producing a series of functionalized hydrogenated and deuterated quinoxalines.

Hydrogen generation with acid/alkaline amphoteric water electrolysis

To reduce the energy consumption of the electrolytic hydrogen generation process, we propose a novel approach to generate hydrogen with acidic/alkaline amphoteric water electrolysis, wherein hydrogen is produced inside an acidic solution and oxygen evolved under alkaline condition, and a membrane is employed in the middle of the electrolyzer to restrain neutralization. The electrode polarization is greatly reduced due to the specific arrangement of the acidic/alkaline amphoteric electrolyzer. The rate of hydrogen production achieves over four times higher than that of the alkaline aqueous solution at 2.2 V, and the energy consumption is reduced approximately 30% under the current density of 200 m A/cm ^2. The investigation of transmembrane potential drop indicates water splitting on the membrane surfaces, which compensates for acid or alkaline loss on-site and maintains the concentration approximately constant during electrolysis process. The acidic/alkaline amphoteric water electrolysis is promising as an energy saving, clean and sustainable hydrogen production technology.

Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotopes of Waters in the Ordos Basin,China:Implications for Recharge of Groundwater in the North of Cretaceous Groundwater Basin

Hundreds of precipitation samples collected from meteorological stations in the Ordos Basin from January 1988 to December 2005 were used to set up a local meteoric water line and to calculate weighted average isotopic compositions of modern precipitation. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, with averages of-7.8‰ and -53.0‰ for δ^18O and δD, respectively, are depleted in winter and rich in spring, and gradually decrease in summer and fall, illustrating that the seasonal effect is considerable. They also show that the isotopic difference between south portion and north portion of the Ordos Basin are not obvious, and the isotope in the middle portion is normally depleted. The isotope compositions of 32 samples collected from shallow groundwater （less than a depth of 150 m） in desert plateau range from -10.6‰ to -6.0‰ with an average of-8.4‰ for δ^18O and from -85‰ to -46‰ with an average of-63‰ for δD. Most of them are identical with modern precipitation. The isotope compositions of 22 middle and deep groundwaters （greater than a depth of 275 m） fall in ranges from -11.6‰ to -8.8‰ with an average of -10.2‰ for δ^18O and from -89‰ to -63‰ with an average of -76‰ for δD. The average values are significantly less than those of modern precipitation, illustrating that the middle and deep groundwaters were recharged at comparatively lower air temperatures. Primary analysis of ^14C shows that the recharge of the middle and deep groundwaters started at late Pleistocene. The isotopes of 13 lake water samples collected from eight lakes define a local evaporation trend, with a relatively flat slope of 3.77, and show that the lake waters were mainly fed by modern precipitation and shallow groundwater.

Study on the Possibility of Mixed Water as a Drinking Water<br/>—From the Viewpoint of the Formation of Hydrogen-Rich Water

In exploring an autonomous independent water supply system, authors have realized the importance of the sustainable water supply utilizing regional features in isolated islands. This paper is further study from the previous one. This time we have narrowed down the mixing rate of mixed water. In this study, the mixed water less than 0.74% (blood concentration) has been prepared first, and then divided it into five kinds of the mixing rate of mixed water. And we have compared and examined the characteristics of the mixed water from the viewpoint of the relationship between salinity and pH, ORP and that of Dissolved Hydrogen, and examined the possibility of mixed water as a drinking water. As a result, we have obtained the new findings that suggest the possibility.

Recent progress on earth abundant electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) in alkaline medium to achieve efficient water splitting–A review

Developing earth-abundant-electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction is one of the promising ways to achieve efficient water-splitting for hydrogen production(a clean chemical fuel).This paper reviews the activity,stability and durability for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline medium of different types of recently reported potential electrocatalysts such as Ni,Co,NiCo,Fe,Cu,W,Mo,Se,Mn.Zn,V,and metal free based earth-abundant-electrocatalysts.Further,this paper reviews the strategies used to achieve the remarkably low overpotential(including r/i0:<35mV),high long term stability(including^:100 h)and high durability(including>5000 cycles)of potential earth-abundant-electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline medium and those are better or well comparable with the state-of-the-art,noble,Pt/C electrocatalyst.Finally,this paper summarizes the efficient strategies such as preparing porous structured materials,preparing nanostructured materials with superaerophobic surface,preparing nanostructured materials,preparing carbon composites/integrating electrocatalysts with carbon,preparing amorphous materials,preparing materials w让h oxygen vacancies/defects,preparing metal chalcogenides,preparing bimetallic/multi-metallic materials,doping metals or heteroatoms,preparing electrocatalysts with core-shell structure,decorating electrocatalysts with amines,preparing homojunction/heterojunction structured materials,preparing hollow structured materials,and preparing boronrich surface to enhance the activity,stability,and durability for HER.

Hydrogen production by glycerol reforming in supercritical water over Ni/MgO-ZrO_2 catalyst

Nano ZrO2 and MgO-ZrO2 were prepared by a self-assembly route and were employed as the support for Ni catalysts used in hydrogen production from glycerol reforming in supercritical water （SCW）. The reforming experiments were conducted in a tubular fixed-bed flow reactor over a temperature range of 600-800 ℃. The influences of process variables such as temperature, contact time, and water to glycerol ratio on hydrogen yield were investigated and the catalysts were charactered by ICP, BET, XRD and SEM. The results showed that high hydrogen yield was obtained from glycerol by reforming in supercritical water over the Ni/MgO-ZrO2 catalysts in a short contact time. The MgO in the catalyst showed significant promotion effect for hydrogen production likely due to the formation of the alkaline active site. Even when the glycerol feed concentration was up to 45 wt%, glycerol was completely gasified and transfered to the gas products containing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane along with small amounts of carbon monoxide. At a diluted feed concentration of 5 wt%, near theoretical yield of 7 mole of H2/mol of glycerol could be obtained.

Hydrogen-enriched water eliminates fine particles from the lungs and blood by enhancing phagocytic activity

Particulate matters（PM） are one of the major body burdens leading to diseases. We investigated the capacities of a hydrogen-enriched water（HW） eliminating carbon nanoparticles（CNP） and carbon microparticles（CMP） from the lungs and blood, respectively. In CNP-elimination test, rats were orally administered with purified water（PW） or HW（10 or 30 mL/kg/day） for 10 weeks. At the time point of 4 weeks, the rats were challenged with intratracheal instillation of CNP（4 mg）. CNP accumulated in the airways and alveoli, and induced inflammatory lesions. Such pneumoconiosis was markedly improved by feeding HW, while PW was ineffective. CNP-induced pneumoconiosis caused systemic hematological alterations, decreasing major inflammatory cells, but markedly increasing eosinophils,indicative of an allergic reaction, which were attenuated by treatment with HW. Such PM-eliminating and antiallergic effects of HW reduced body burden as confirmed from the facilitated recovery of body and lung weights. In CMP-clearance test, mice were orally administered with PW or HW for 7 days, and intravenously injected with CMP（300 mg/kg）. CMP was rapidly eliminated from the blood in HW-fed mice. Indeed, the phagocytic indices increased to 3.5 and 6.7 folds at 10 and 30 mL/kg of HW, in comparison with a negligible effect of PW. As a mechanism study,only HW significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation in vitro Fenton reaction-mediated ·OH-generating system.Collectively, the results indicate that HW not only effectively eliminated PM from the lungs and blood by enhancing phagocytic activity, but also attenuated the lung injuries by inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from the Splitting of Water over Cd_(1-x)Zn_xS/K_2La_2Ti_3O_(10) Composites under Visible Light Irradiation

A series of Cd1-xZnxS/K2La2Ti3O10 composites were synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDX), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection(UV-Vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and photoluminescence(PL) measurements. The composite structures consisted of Cd1-xZnxS nanoparticles evenly distributed on the surface of K2La2Ti3O10. The absorption edge of K2La2Ti3O10 shifted to the visible light region upon introduction of the Cd1-xZnxS nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activities of the catalysts were evaluated by hydrogen production under visible light irradiation. The prepared Cd0.8Zn0.2S(30wt%)/K2La2Ti3O10 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity, evolving 6.92 mmol/g H2 under visible light irradiation for 3 h. The promoted photocatalytic activity of the composites was attributed to the synergistic effect between Cd1-xZnxS and K2La2Ti3O10, which resulted in enhanced separation of photogenerated electrons and holes.

Comparative Study of Hydrogen and Carbon Isotopic Composition of Gases Generated from the Pyrolysis of a Peat under Saltwater and Freshwater Conditions

To understand the influence of the diagenetic water medium on the isotopic compositions of thermogenic coalbed gas, both hydrous and anhydrous closed-system pyrolyses were performed at temperatures of 250°C to 650°C on an herbaceous marsh peat. Compared to the results of anhydrous pyrolysis, the hydrocarbon gases generated from hydrous pyrolyses have very different hydrogen isotopic compositions. However, the carbon isotopic compositions of the hydrocarbon gases became only slightly heavier in hydrous pyrolysis, compared to that from anhydrous pyrolysis. With the progress of thermal evolution from peat to a more advanced thermal maturity of vitrinite reflectance values（Ro） of 5.5% during the pyrolysis, the difference in the average δD value increased from 52‰ to 64‰ between the hydrous pyrolysis with saltwater and anhydrous pyrolysis and increased from 18‰ to 29‰ between the hydrous pyrolysis with freshwater and anhydrous pyrolysis, respectively. The difference in the average δ^（13）C value was only 1‰–2‰ between the hydrous and anhydrous pyrolysis. The relationships between the δD values of the generated hydrocarbon gases and Ro values as well as among δD values of the hydrocarbon gas species are established. The close relationships among these parameters suggest that the water medium had a significant effect on the hydrogen isotopic composition and a minimal effect on the carbon isotopic composition of the hydrocarbon gases. The results of these pyrolyses may provide information for the understanding of the genesis of coalbed gas from herbaceous marsh material with the participation of different diagenetic water media.

Water Scrubbing for Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) Inbiogas from Hog Farms

Biogas from anaerobic digestion of biological wastes is a renewable energy resource. H2S in biogas may cause corrosion or other damage to engines if it is not removed from the gas before utilization. Because the solubility of H2S in water is higher than methane, water can be used as an adsorbent to remove H2S from biogas. A simple water scrubbing column to reduce the H2S content was designed in this study. The biogas purification process took place in the scrubbing column with water where the gas was continuously fed from the bottom of the column through the diffuser which could produce bubbles. The biogas bubbles and the water can accelerate the reaction inside the column. The water in the column was circulated by means of a pump. H2S content in raw biogas was about 6000 ppm. First, the efficiencies of H2S removal for different biogas flow rate and water level were conducted at 30 and 90 sec. Second, the efficiencies of H2S removal with water recycling system were induced. The results showed that the concentration of H2S in biogas decreased significantly with water level and increased with biogas flow rate through the water scrubbing. It was an effective technique for removing H2S in a short operation time, but absorption capability of water declined rapidly with time. To maintain high absorption rate, water scrubbing after adsorption needed to be replaced or regenerated. The water scrubbing system is a simplest and cheapest method. This work is investigated the feasibility of water scrubbing system and its application to a small hog farm.

Effects of preparation methods on the performance of Cu-Mo-Fe-O_x in the hydrogen production from water

Two Cu-Mo-Fe-Ox samples, which can store and supply pure hydrogen through repeated redox reaction （Fe3O4＋4H23Fe＋4H2O）, were prepared by co-precipitation （FCM-C） and impregnation （FCM-I） methods, respectively, and the performance of hydrogen production from water were investigated. Compared with the impregnated sample, the co-precipitation sample presented better catalytic activity. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR） and temperature-programmed reduction （H2-TPR） techniques. XRD, FE-SEM and XPS results suggest that the FCM-C sample has smaller particle size and higher dispersion of iron oxide than that of FCM-I sample. In addition, FT-IR and H2-TPR analyses indicate that the weak interaction among metal oxides in FCM-C sample may induce facile reduction of active metal and superior property of hydrogen production by decomposing water in success

Non-catalytic conversion of wheat straw,walnut shell and almond shell into hydrogen rich gas in supercritical water media

Agricultural wastes as lignocellulosic biomasses are known as the major resources of bioenergy. These valuable resources can be converted into useful environmental friendly fuels and chemicals. Wheat straw, walnut shell and almond shell are the main agricultural wastes in Kurdistan province, Iran. This study investigates the hydrogen-rich gas production via gasification of these biomasses in supercritical water media. Experiments were performed first, in the base case condition using a stainless steel batch micro reactor system. Then, the effect of reaction time on the total gas yield and yield of hydrogen, were investigated. It was seen that the total gas yields and gasification efficiencies increased by increasing the reaction time to 30 min and then the total gas yield was approximately remained constant. Among three used feed stocks, wheat straw with higher amount of cellulose and lower amount of lignin had the highest total gas and hydrogen yields in shorter reaction times.The maximum hydrogen yields of 7.25, 4.1 and 4.63 mmol per gram of wheat straw, almond shell and walnut shell occurred at 10, 15 and 20 min of reaction time, respectively.

Efficiency of Aluminium and Copper Coated Aluminium Electrode in Hydrogen Fuel Generation from Rain Water

Water electrolysis is considered as the most capable and old technology for hydrogen fuel preparation. Electrolysis needs external electrical energy through electrodes to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. An efficient electrolysis requires suitable electrodes to minimize potential drop. In this study Aluminium and Copper Coated Aluminium were used as different combination of Anodes and Cathodes to find out more efficient electrodes combination. NaCl solution in rain water was taken as electrolyte. Rain water was taken to avoid ionic impedance of tap water and expenses of distilled water. In this study, the most efficient electrode combination was Copper Coated Aluminium (anode)-Aluminium (cathode) and gave the highest efficiency of hydrogen production to about 11% at normal temperature for very low concentration of NaCl (0.051 M) which increased with temperature, up to 29% upon rising of temp to 60°C. It was showed that higher concentration of electrolyte would surge the efficiency significantly. If the supplied heat could be provided from any waste heat sources then this study would be more efficient. However, current research evaluated the technical feasibility of this electrode combination for producing hydrogen with electrolysis of rain water utilizing electricity and modified electrodes.