Now Reading: IIT Guwahati develops cheap nickel catalyst for green hydrogen
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IIT Guwahati develops cheap nickel catalyst for green hydrogen
Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a new catalyst using nickel and anthracene that can split water to produce hydrogen more efficiently. The catalyst, described in a study led by associate professor…
The Story in Brief
Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a new catalyst using nickel and anthracene that can split water to produce hydrogen more efficiently. The catalyst, described in a study led by associate professor Akshay Kumar, was created at room temperature using ultrasonic waves. It achieved 88 per cent electrical energy efficiency in water electrolysis.
The innovation offers a cheaper alternative to catalysts made from costly rare metals. The nickel-anthracene framework also showed long-term stability, with minimal performance drop during testing. The development could boost India's National Green Hydrogen Mission by making green hydrogen production more viable.
The Indian Opinion
This is genuinely good news from an Indian lab. But let's not confuse a lab breakthrough with a commercial revolution. The journey from an 88 per cent efficient catalyst in a beaker to a 24×7 hydrogen plant is long, and the cost of producing the anthracene framework itself is unclear. The real test will be whether this catalyst can be scaled affordably and perform consistently for thousands of hours, not just in a test run. We will be watching for pilot plant data from IIT Guwahati.
Source: bazaar.businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
