Hydrogen production: If the cobalt was substituted for the platinum ...

Researchers ^[1] from the CEA in Grenoble and Saclay, CNRS and Joseph Fourier University, have developed two new cobalt-based materials able to replace platinum, a rare and expensive metal, in the production of hydrogen from water (electrolysis). One can operate in aqueous solutions at neutral pH. The second is the first "switchable" catalytic material without noble metals ever created able to intervene in the two key chemical reactions for the electrolysis of water: the production of hydrogen and the oxygen production.

Published on 20 October 2012

Press release available in French.

These results are the subject of publications in Nature Chemistry and Nature Chemistry.

^[1] Laboratoire de chimie et de biologie des métaux (unité mixte CEA/CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier) - IRTSV (Institut de recherches en technologies et sciences pour le vivant) - Iramis (Institut rayonnement et matière à Saclay) - CEA-Liten - CEA-Leti (DTBS, département des micro-technologies pour la biologie et la santé).

Andreiadis ES, Jacques PA, Tran PD, Leyris A, Chavarot-Kerlidou M, Jousselme B, Matheron M, Pécaut J, Palacin S, Fontecave M and Artero V
Molecular engineering of a Cobalt-based electrocatalytic nano-material for H₂ evolution under fully aqueous conditions.
Nature Chemistry, 2013

Cobo S, Heidkamp J, Jacques PA, Fize J, Fourmond V, Guetaz L, Jousselme B, Ivanova V, Dau H, Palacin S, Fontecave M and Artero V
A Janus cobalt-based catalytic material for electro-splitting of water.
Nature Materials, 2012

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Keywords : platinum | biohydrogen | cobalt | bio-inspired chemistry | hydrogen production | electrocatalysis | SolhyCat | nanomaterials

Alternative and Atomic Energies Agency

CEA is a French government-funded technological research organisation in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. A prominent player in the European Research Area, it is involved in setting up collaborative projects with many partners around the world.

Chemistry and Biology of Metals laboratory

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Hydrogen production: If the cobalt was substituted for the platinum ...

References

Keywords : platinum | biohydrogen | cobalt | bio-inspired chemistry | hydrogen production | electrocatalysis | SolhyCat | nanomaterials