Hydrogen Generation At Room Temperature Using Visible Light: Study

The study may provide an alternative approach to use hydrogen as a source of clean energy.

MAY 21, 2019 | BY RATNESHWAR THAKUR

In an effort to produce clean energy from hydrogen gas, researchers have designed a new catalytic system that operates under room temperature environment. Since hydrogen produces water as the sole by-product upon combustion, this study may provide an alternative approach to use hydrogen as a source of clean energy.

Researchers from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati (IISER-Tirupati) and CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL, Pune) have reported a visible-light mediated dual catalytic system to produce hydrogen and value-added chemicals at room temperature environment from widespread amines in water.

In the study, a dual catalytic system combining photo-redox and proton reduction catalysts has been used. Researchers explained that the staring material (amine) was taken in a vial along with the catalysts in degassed Milli-Q water under an argon atmosphere. The reaction mixture was irradiated under visible-light, using 36 W blue LED light bulb strips, at room temperature to get desired dehydrogenated product with the concomitant generation of molecular hydrogen.

“The removal of dihydrogen atoms from adjacent atomic centres of organic molecules is a thermodynamically uphill process. However, this challenge was successfully addressed by designing a dual catalytic system by merging visible-light photoredox catalysis with proton reduction catalysis,” says Dr. Ekambaram Balaraman, Scientist and corresponding author of this study.

“In this country, energy and sustainability are among the biggest challenge humanity faces. We believe that our strategy might have significant impact on energy storage, clean environment, and sustainable chemical synthesis,” he added.

The research team included Manoj K. Sahoo and E. Balaraman, and the study was published in journal Green Chemistry. The research work was funded through Science and Engineering Research Board, and IISER-Tirupati.

Reference:
Room temperature catalytic dehydrogenation of cyclic amines with the liberation of H2 using water as a solvent

Ratneshwar Thakur
Journalist, columnist and author based in New Delhi. Managing Editor, India Science Wire..

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