A team of Indian scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed a scalable next-generation device that produces green hydrogen by splitting water molecules using only solar energy.
Green hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels known, capable of decarbonizing industries, powering vehicles, and storing renewable energy. Yet, until now, scalable and affordable production methods remained elusive.
The scientists have developed a next-generation device that produces green hydrogen by splitting water molecules using only solar energy and earth-abundant materials, without relying on fossil fuels or expensive resources.
Led by Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, the research team designed a state-of-the-art silicon-based photoanode using an innovative n-i-p heterojunction architecture, consisting of stacked n-type TiO2, intrinsic (undoped) Si, and p-type NiO semiconductor layers, which work together to enhance charge separation and transport efficiency.
The materials were deposited using magnetron sputtering, a scalable and industry-ready technique that ensures precision and efficiency. This thoughtful engineering approach allowed better light absorption, faster charge transport, and reduced recombination loss, key ingredients for efficient solar-to-hydrogen conversion.
“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,” said Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh from CeNS, who led the research.
“This brings us one step closer to affordable, large-scale solar-to-hydrogen energy systems,” he added.
The work has been published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
ALSO READ: Assam: IIT Guwahati’s clay sedimentation technique to accurately detect Covid virus
This new device is attractive for several reasons, including high efficiency, low energy input, robust durability, and cost-effective materials, all in one package. It even demonstrated successful performance at a large scale, with a 25 cm2 photoanode delivering excellent solar water-splitting results.
