The publication Science Alert reports extremely promising research findings from U. of California, Santa Cruz, concerning the production of gaseous hydrogen from water at room temperature. This could be huge.
In the new research, scientists describe a relatively simple method involving aluminum nanoparticles that are able to strip the oxygen from water molecules and leave hydrogen gas.
The process yields large amounts of hydrogen, and it all works at room temperature.
That removes one of the big barriers to hydrogen fuel production: the large amounts of power required to produce it using existing methods.
This technique works with any kind of water, too, including wastewater and ocean water.
"We don't need any energy input, and it bubbles hydrogen like crazy," says materials scientist Scott Oliver from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC).
Aluminum is easier to get hold of than gallium as it can be sourced from post-consumer materials, such as discarded aluminum cans and foil.
Gallium is more expensive and less abundant, but in this process at least it can be recovered and reused many times over without losing its effectiveness.
The research has been published in Applied Nano Materials.
Imagine turning inexhaustible sea water into auto fuel, the mind boggles. Hydrogen fuel stored under pressure would make admirable ICE automobile fuel, the "exhaust" would be non-polluting water vapor, and refueling would be nearly as quick as gasoline.
Caveat: They don't report how energy-intensive the process of reclaiming the used gallium is likely to be. That cost could be a deal-breaker.
As someone "in the business" of higher ed for 30 years, I've tended to stereotype UCSantaCruz as "a hippie haven." I may have to reconsider that judgment. Hat tip to Instapundit for the link.
