Electronic structure engineering of transition metal dichalcogenides for boosting hydrogen energy conversion electrocatalysts

Electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production is an appealing strategy to reduce carbon emissions and generate renewable fuels.This promising process,however,is limited by its sluggish reaction kinetics and high-cost catalysts.The two-dimensional(2D)transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDCs)have presented great potential as electrocatalytic materials due to their tunable bandgaps,abundant defective active sites,and good chemical stability.Consequently,phase engineering,defect engineering and interface engineering have been adopted to manipulate the electronic structure of TMDCs for boosting their exceptional catalytic performance.Particularly,it is essential to clarify the local structure of catalytically active sites of TMDCs and their structural evolution in catalytic reactions using atomic resolution electron microscopy and the booming in situ technologies,which is beneficial for exploring the underlying reaction mechanism.In this review,the growth regulation,characterization,particularly atomic configurations of active sites in TMDCs are summarized.The significant role of electron microscopy in the understanding of the growth mechanism,the controlled synthesis and functional optimization of 2D TMDCs are discussed.This review will shed light on the design and synthesis of novel electrocatalysts with high performance,as well as prompt the application of advanced electron microscopy in the research of materials science.

Hydroelectric and Hydrogen Storage Systems for Electric Energy Produced from Renewable Energy Sources

Renewable energy sources are essential formitigating the greenhouse effect and supplying energy to resource-scarce regions.However,their intermittent nature necessitates efficient storage solutions to enhance system efficiency and manage energy costs.This paper investigates renewable and clean storage systems,specifically examining the storage of electricity generated from renewable sources using hydropower plants and hydrogen,both of which are highly efficient and promising for future energy production and storage.The study utilizes extensive literature data to analyze the impact of various parameters on the cost per kWh of electricity production in hybrid renewable systems incorporating hydropower and hydrogen storage plants.Results indicate that these hybrid systems can store electricity efficiently and cost-effectively,with production costs ranging from 0.126 to 0.3$/kWh for renewablehydropower systems and 0.118 to 0.42$/kWh for renewable-hydrogen systems,with expected cost reductions over the next decade due to technological advancements and increased market adoption.The novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive comparison of hybrid renewable systems integrating hydropower and hydrogen storage,providing detailed cost analysis and future projections.It identifies key parameters influencing the cost and efficiency of these systems,offering insights into optimizing storage solutions for renewable energy.Moreover,this research underscores the potential of hybrid systems to reduce dependency on fossil fuels,particularly during peak demand periods,and emphasizes the importance of seasonal and geographic considerations in selecting energy sources.The study highlights the importance of policy support and investment in hybrid renewable systems and calls for further research into optimizing these systems for different seasonal and geographic conditions.Overall,the integration of renewable energy sources with hydropower and hydrogen storage offers a promising pathway to a sustainable,economical,and resilient energy future.

A coordinated operation method of wind-PV-hydrogenstorage multi-agent energy system

Wind-photovoltaic(PV)-hydrogen-storage multi-agent energy systems are expected to play an important role in promoting renewable power utilization and decarbonization.In this study,a coordinated operation method was proposed for a wind-PVhydrogen-storage multi-agent energy system.First,a coordinated operation model was formulated for each agent considering peer-to-peer power trading.Second,a coordinated operation interactive framework for a multi-agent energy system was proposed based on the theory of the alternating direction method of multipliers.Third,a distributed interactive algorithm was proposed to protect the privacy of each agent and solve coordinated operation strategies.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed coordinated operation method was tested on multi-agent energy systems with different structures,and the operational revenues of the wind power,PV,hydrogen,and energy storage agents of the proposed coordinated operation model were improved by approximately 59.19%,233.28%,16.75%,and 145.56%,respectively,compared with the independent operation model.

Comparative analysis of thermodynamic and mechanical responses between underground hydrogen storage and compressed air energy storage in lined rock caverns

Underground hydrogen storage(UHS)and compressed air energy storage(CAES)are two viable largescale energy storage technologies for mitigating the intermittency of wind and solar power.Therefore,it is meaningful to compare the properties of hydrogen and air with typical thermodynamic storage processes.This study employs a multi-physical coupling model to compare the operations of CAES and UHS,integrating gas thermodynamics within caverns,thermal conduction,and mechanical deformation around rock caverns.Gas thermodynamic responses are validated using additional simulations and the field test data.Temperature and pressure variations of air and hydrogen within rock caverns exhibit similarities under both adiabatic and diabatic simulation modes.Hydrogen reaches higher temperature and pressure following gas charging stage compared to air,and the ideal gas assumption may lead to overestimation of gas temperature and pressure.Unlike steel lining of CAES,the sealing layer(fibre-reinforced plastic FRP)in UHS is prone to deformation but can effectively mitigates stress in the sealing layer.In CAES,the first principal stress on the surface of the sealing layer and concrete lining is tensile stress,whereas UHS exhibits compressive stress in the same areas.Our present research can provide references for the selection of energy storage methods.

Electricity as an Energy Vector: A Performance Comparison with Hydrogen and Biodiesel in Italy

This study presents a comparative analysis of electricity, hydrogen, and biodiesel as energy vectors, with a focus on powering an aluminum smelter in southern Italy. It evaluates these vectors in terms of efficiency, land requirements for carbon-neutral energy production, and capital expenditure, providing insights throughout the entire supply chain (upstream, midstream, and downstream) into their feasibility for industrial applications. The research reveals that biodiesel, despite being carbon neutral, is impractical due to extensive land requirements and lower efficiency if compared to other vectors. Hydrogen, downstream explored in two forms as thermal power generation and fuel cell technology, shows lower efficiency and higher capital expenditure compared to electricity. Additionally, green hydrogen production’s land requirements significantly exceed those of electricity-based systems. Electricity emerges as the most viable option, offering an overall higher efficiency, lower land requirements for its green production, and comparatively lower capital expenditure. The study’s findings highlight the importance of a holistic assessment of energy vectors, considering economic, environmental, and practical aspects along the entire energy supply chain, especially in industrial applications where the balance of these factors is crucial for long-term sustainability and feasibility. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable guidance for similar industrial applications, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach in the selection of energy vectors.

Waste-Derived Catalysts for Water Electrolysis:Circular Economy-Driven Sustainable Green Hydrogen Energy

The sustainable production of green hydrogen via water electrolysis necessitates cost-effective electrocatalysts.By following the circular economy principle,the utilization of waste-derived catalysts significantly promotes the sustainable development of green hydrogen energy.Currently,diverse waste-derived catalysts have exhibited excellent catalytic performance toward hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),oxygen evolution reaction(OER),and overall water electrolysis(OWE).Herein,we systematically examine recent achievements in waste-derived electrocatalysts for water electrolysis.The general principles of water electrolysis and design principles of efficient electrocatalysts are discussed,followed by the illustration of current strategies for transforming wastes into electrocatalysts.Then,applications of waste-derived catalysts(i.e.,carbon-based catalysts,transitional metal-based catalysts,and carbon-based heterostructure catalysts)in HER,OER,and OWE are reviewed successively.An emphasis is put on correlating the catalysts’structure-performance relationship.Also,challenges and research directions in this booming field are finally highlighted.This review would provide useful insights into the design,synthesis,and applications of waste-derived electrocatalysts,and thus accelerate the development of the circular economy-driven green hydrogen energy scheme.

Hydrogen energy carriers

The versatility of hydrogen will provide opportunities in large scale,long duration energy storage,and the decarbonization of industry.Hydrogen energy carriers are molecules and materials that store hydrogen at higher volumetric density than possible using gas phase hydrogen.

Historical Review of Hydrogen Energy Storage Technology

Hydrogen energy as a sustainable energy source has most recently become an increasingly important renewable energy resource due to its ability to power fuel cells in zero-emission vehicles and its help in lowering the levels of CO2 emissions. Also, hydrogen has a high energy density and can be utilized in a wide range of applications. It is indeed the fuel of the future but, it is still not entirely apparent how to analyze the most successful ways for hydrogen storage based on technological configuration, nature, and efficiency mechanisms. The historical hydrogen storage technologies as they are presented by the current research have been evaluated, analyzed, and examined in this study. The two categories of hydrogen storage systems are physical-based and material-based.The first category involves storing hydrogen as liquid, cold/cryo-compressed, and compressed gas. Chemical sorption/chemisorption and physical sorption/physisorption are the two primary sub-groups of material-based storage, respectively. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of storage technologies for hydrogen are evaluated in this paper. Also, this report reviews the major safety and reliability issues currently facing hydrogen storage systems. Suggestions are made to assist lay the groundwork for future risk and reliability analysis to ensure safe, dependable operation.

Data-driven source-load robust optimal scheduling of integrated energy production unit including hydrogen energy coupling

A robust low-carbon economic optimal scheduling method that considers source-load uncertainty and hydrogen energy utilization is developed.The proposed method overcomes the challenge of source-load random fluctuations in integrated energy systems(IESs)in the operation scheduling problem of integrated energy production units(IEPUs).First,to solve the problem of inaccurate prediction of renewable energy output,an improved robust kernel density estimation method is proposed to construct a data-driven uncertainty output set of renewable energy sources statistically and build a typical scenario of load uncertainty using stochastic scenario reduction.Subsequently,to resolve the problem of insufficient utilization of hydrogen energy in existing IEPUs,a robust low-carbon economic optimal scheduling model of the source-load interaction of an IES with a hydrogen energy system is established.The system considers the further utilization of energy using hydrogen energy coupling equipment(such as hydrogen storage devices and fuel cells)and the comprehensive demand response of load-side schedulable resources.The simulation results show that the proposed robust stochastic optimization model driven by data can effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions,improve the source-load interaction of the IES,realize the efficient use of hydrogen energy,and improve system robustness.

Hydrogen production at intermediate temperatures with proton conducting ceramic cells:Electrocatalytic activity,durability and energy efficiency

Proton conducting ceramic cells(PCCs)are an attractive emerging technology operating in the intermediate temperature range of 500 to 700℃.In this work,we evaluate the production of hydrogen at intermediate temperatures by proton conducting ceramic cell electrolysis(PCCEL).We demonstrate a highperformance steam electrolysis owing to a composite positrode based on BaGd_(0.8)La_(0.2)Co_(2)O_(6-δ)(BGLC1082)and BaZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O3-δ(BZCY541).The high reliability of PCCEL is demonstrated for 1680 h at a current density as high as-0.8 A cm^(-2)close to the thermoneutral cell voltage at 600℃.The electrolysis cell showed a specific energy consumption ranging from 54 to 66 kW h kg^(-1)that is comparable to state-of-the-art low temperature electrolysis technologies,while showing hydrogen production rates systematically higher than commercial solid oxide ceramic cells(SOCs).Compared to SOCs,the results verified the higher performances of PCCs at the relevant operating temperatures,due to the lower activation energy for proton transfer comparing with oxygen ion conduction.However,because of the p-type electronic conduction in protonic ceramics,the energy conversion rate of PCCs is relatively lower in steam electrolysis.The faradaic efficiency of the PCC in electrolysis mode can be increased at lower operating temperatures and in endothermic conditions,making PCCEL a technology of choice to valorize high temperature waste heat from industrial processes into hydrogen.To increase the faradaic efficiency by optimizing the materials,the cell design,or the operating strategy is a key challenge to address for future developments of PCCEL in order to achieve even more superior techno-economic merits.

The Impact of Hydrogen Energy Storage on the Electricity Harvesting

The economics,infrastructure,transportation,and level of living of a country are all influenced by energy.The gap between energy usage and availabil-ity is a global issue.Currently,all countries rely on fossil fuels for energy genera-tion,and these fossil fuels are not sustainable.The hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC)power system is both clean and efficient.The fuel delivery system and the PEMFC make up the majority of the PEMFC power sys-tem.The lack of an efficient,safe,and cost-effective hydrogen storage system is still a major barrier to its widespread use.Solid hydrogen storage has the large capacity,safety and good reversibility.As a hydrogen source system,the hydro-gen supply characteristics affect the characteristics of the PEMFC at the output.In this paper,a mathematical model of a hydrogen source reactor and PEMFC based on chemical absorption/desorption of solid hydrogen storage is established,and a simulation model of a PEMFC power system coupled with solid hydrogen storage is established using MATLAB/SIMULINK software,and the hydrogen supply of the reactor is analyzed in detail.The influence of prominent factors is evaluated.The research results show that the proposed method improved the system perfor-mance.At the same time,increasing the PEMFC temperature,increasing the area of the proton exchange membrane and the oxygen supply pressure can increase the output power of the power system.

A Solar Energy System Design for Green Hydrogen Production in South-Western Nigeria, Lagos State, Using HOMER & ASPEN

Solar system design for green hydrogen production has become the most prominent renewable energy research area, and this has also actively fueled the desire to achieve net-zero emissions. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier because it possesses more energy capacity than fossil fuels and the abundant nature of renewable energy systems can be utilized for green hydrogen production. However, the design of an optimized electrical energy system required for hydrogen production is crucial. Solar energy is indeed beneficial for green hydrogen production and this research designed, discussed, and provided high-level research on HOMER design for green hydrogen production and deployed the energy requirement with ASPEN Plus to optimize the energy system, while also incorporating fuzzy logic and PID control approaches. In addition, a promising technology with a high potential for renewable hydrogen energy is the proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. Since its cathode (hydrogen electrode) may be operated over a wide range of pressure, a control process must be added to the system in order for it to work dynamically efficiently. This system can be characterized as an analogous circuit that consists of a resistor, capacitor, and reversible voltage. As a result, this research work also explores the Fuzzy-PID control of the PEM electrolysis system. Both the PID and Fuzzy Logic control systems were simulated using the control simulation program Matlab R2018a, which makes use of Matlab script files and the Simulink environment. Based on the circuit diagram, a transfer function that represents the mathematical model of the plant was created, and the PEM electrolysis control system is determined to be highly significant and applicable to the two control systems. The PI controller, however, has a 30.8% overshoot deficit, but when the fuzzy control system is compared to the PID controller, it is found that the fuzzy control system achieves stability more quickly, demonstrating its benefit over PID.

Next‑Generation Green Hydrogen: Progress and Perspective from Electricity, Catalyst to Electrolyte in Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Green hydrogen from electrolysis of water has attracted widespread attention as a renewable power source.Among several hydrogen production methods,it has become the most promising technology.However,there is no large-scale renewable hydrogen production system currently that can compete with conventional fossil fuel hydrogen production.Renewable energy electrocatalytic water splitting is an ideal production technology with environmental cleanliness protection and good hydrogen purity,which meet the requirements of future development.This review summarizes and introduces the current status of hydrogen production by water splitting from three aspects:electricity,catalyst and electrolyte.In particular,the present situation and the latest progress of the key sources of power,catalytic materials and electrolyzers for electrocatalytic water splitting are introduced.Finally,the problems of hydrogen generation from electrolytic water splitting and directions of next-generation green hydrogen in the future are discussed and outlooked.It is expected that this review will have an important impact on the field of hydrogen production from water.

Enhancing hydrogen evolution and oxidation kinetics through oxygen insertion into nickel lattice

Nickel-based materials,including metallic Ni and Ni oxide,have been widely studied in the exploration of non-precious-metal hydrogen electrocatalysts,but neither pure Ni nor NiO is ideal for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR).In this paper,an oxygen insertion strategy was applied on nickel to regulate its hydrogen electrocatalytic performance,and the oxygen-inserted nickel catalyst was successfully obtained with the assistance of tungsten dioxide support(denoted as O-Ni/WO_(2)).The partial insertion of oxygen in Ni maintains the face-centered cubic arrangement of Ni atoms,simultaneously expanding the lattice and increasing the lattice spacing.Consequently,the adsorption strength of^(*)H and^(*)OH on Ni is optimized,thus resulting in superior electrocatalytic performance of0-Ni/WO_(2)in alkaline HER/HOR.The Tafel slope of O-Ni/WO_(2)@NF for HER is 56 mV dec^(-1),and the kinetic current density of O-Ni/WO_(2)for HOR reaches 4.85 mA cm^(-2),which is ahead of most currently reported catalysts.Our proposed strategy of inserting an appropriate amount of anions into the metal lattice could provide more possibilities for the design of high-performance catalysts.

MXenes and heterostructures-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction:Recent developments and future outlook

The increasing focus on electrocatalysis for sustainable hydrogen(H_(2))production has prompted significant interest in MXenes,a class of two-dimensional(2D)materials comprising metal carbides,carbonitrides,and nitrides.These materials exhibit intriguing chemical and physical properties,including excellent electrical conductivity and a large surface area,making them attractive candidates for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).This scientific review explores recent advancements in MXene-based electrocatalysts for HER kinetics.It discusses various compositions,functionalities,and explicit design principles while providing a comprehensive overview of synthesis methods,exceptional properties,and electro-catalytic approaches for H_(2) production via electrochemical reactions.Furthermore,challenges and future prospects in designing MXenes-based electrocatalysts with enhanced kinetics are highlighted,emphasizing the potential of incorporating different metals to expand the scope of electrochemical reactions.This review suggests possible efforts for developing advanced MXenes-based electrocatalysts,particularly for efficient H_(2) generation through electrochemical water-splitting reactions..

Synergy of inside doped metals–Outside coated graphene to enhance hydrogen storage in magnesium-based alloys

Grain growth of magnesium(Mg)and its hydride is one of the main reasons for kinetic and capacity degradation during the hydrogen absorption and desorption cycles.To solve this problem,herein we propose a novel method involving synergistic effect of inside embedded metals and outside coated graphene to limit the growth of Mg and its hydride grains.The graphene coated Mg-Y-Al alloys were selected as a model system for demonstrating this positive effect where the Mg_(91)Y_(3)Al_(6)alloy was first prepared by rapidly solidified method and then high-pressure milled with 5 wt%graphene upon 5 MPa hydrogen gas for obtaining in-situ formed YAl_(2)and YH_(3)embedded in the MgH_(2)matrix with graphene shell(denoted as MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR).In comparison to pure MgH_(2),the obtained MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR composites deliver much better kinetics and more stable cyclic performance.For instance,the MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR can release about 6.1 wt%H_(2)within 30 min at 300℃ but pure MgH_(2)only desorbs∼1.5 wt%H_(2).The activation energy for desorption of MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR samples is calculated to be 75.3±9.1 kJ/mol that is much lower than approximately 160 kJ/mol for pure MgH_(2).Moreover,its capacity retention is promoted from∼57%of pure MgH_(2)to∼84%after 50th cycles without obvious particle agglomeration and grain growth.The synergistic effect of outside graphene coating with inside embedded metals which could provide a huge number of active sites for catalysis as well as inhibit the grain growth of Mg and its hydride is believed to be responsible for these.

Feasibility of Scaling up the Cost-Competitive and Clean Electrolytic Hydrogen Supply in China

Scaling up clean hydrogen supply in the near future is critical to achieving China’s hydrogen development target.This study established an electrolytic hydrogen development mechanism considering the generation mix and operation optimization of power systems with access to hydrogen.Based on the incremental cost principle,we quantified the provincial and national clean hydrogen production cost performance levels in 2030.The results indicated that this mechanism could effectively reduce the production cost of clean hydrogen in most provinces,with a national average value of less than 2 USD·kg^(-1) at the 40-megaton hydrogen supply scale.Provincial cooperation via power transmission lines could further reduce the production cost to 1.72 USD·kg^(-1).However,performance is affected by the potential distribution of hydrogen demand.From the supply side,competitiveness of the mechanism is limited to clean hydrogen production,while from the demand side,it could help electrolytic hydrogen fulfil a more significant role.This study could provide a solution for the ambitious development of renewables and the hydrogen economy in China.

Vermiform Ni@CNT derived from one-pot calcination of Ni-MOF precursor for improving hydrogen storage of MgH_(2)

The Ni-coated carbon nanotubes(Ni@CNT)composite was synthesized by the facile“filtration+calcination”of Ni-based metal−organic framework(MOF)precursor and the obtained composite was used as a catalyst for MgH_(2).MgH_(2)was mixed evenly with different amounts of Ni@CNT(2.5,5.0 and 7.5,wt.%)through ball milling.The MgH_(2)−5wt.%Ni@CNT can absorb 5.2 wt.%H_(2)at 423 K in 200 s and release about 3.75 wt.%H_(2)at 573 K in 1000 s.And its dehydrogenation and rehydrogenation activation energies are reduced to 87.63 and 45.28 kJ/mol(H_(2)).The in-situ generated Mg_(2)Ni/Mg_(2)NiH4 exhibits a good catalytic effect due to the provided more diffusion channels that can be used as“hydrogen pump”.And the presence of carbon nanotubes improves the properties of MgH_(2)to some extent.

Investigation of an electrode-driven hydrogen plasma method for in situ cleaning of tin-based contamination

To prolong the service life of optics,the feasibility of in situ cleaning of the multilayer mirror(MLM)of tin and its oxidized contamination was investigated using hydrogen plasma at different power levels.Granular tin-based contamination consisting of micro-and macroparticles was deposited on silicon via physical vapor deposition(PVD).The electrodedriven hydrogen plasma at different power levels was systematically diagnosed using a Langmuir probe and a retarding field ion energy analyzer(RFEA).Moreover,the magnitude of the self-biasing voltage was measured at different power levels,and the peak ion energy was corrected for the difference between the RFEA measurements and the self-biasing voltage(E_(RFEA)-eV_(self)).XPS analysis of O 1s and Sn 3d peaks demonstrated the chemical reduction process after 1 W cleaning.Analysis of surface and cross-section morphology revealed that holes emerged on the upper part of the macroparticles while its bottom remained smooth.Hills and folds appeared on the upper part of the microparticles,confirming the top-down cleaning mode with hydrogen plasma.This study provides an in situ electrode-driven hydrogen plasma etching process for tin-based contamination and will provide meaningful guidance for understanding the chemical mechanism of reduction and etching.

Hydrogen Permeation Characteristics of Pd-CuMembrane in Plasma Membrane Reactor

Hydrogen is an alternative energy source that has the potential to replace fossil fuels.One of the hydrogen applications is as a material for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells(PEMFC)in fuel cell vehicles.High-purity hydrogen can be obtained using a hydrogen separation membrane to prevent unwanted contaminants from potentially harming the PEMFC components.In this study,we fabricated a plasma membrane reactor and investigated the permeation performance of a hydrogen separation membrane in a plasma membrane reactor utilizing atmospheric pressure plasma.The result showed the hydrogen permeation rate increasing with time as reactor temperature is increased through joule heating.By decreasing the gap length of the reactor from 2 to 1 mm,the hydrogen permeation rate increases by up to 40%.The hydrogen permeation rate increases by 30%when pressure is applied to the plasma membrane reactor by up to 100 kPa.