As the world shifts toward sustainable energy sources, “green hydrogen” has emerged as a leading candidate for clean power. A collaborative research team led by Professor Hyungyu Jin and Professor Jeong Woo Han has made a significant breakthrough in developing an iron-based catalyst that more than doubles the conversion efficiency of thermochemical green hydrogen production.

Generate an image depicting a scientist holding a small, futuristic-looking device with a glowing blue screen. In the background, there’s a subtle representation of a globe with a clean energy symbol (such as wind turbines or solar panels) integrated into it. The scene should convey a sense of innovation and sustainability.

The article explains how growing concerns over fossil fuel-driven pollution and climate change have led to increased attention on hydrogen as a clean energy carrier that only emits water upon combustion. Among various hydrogen production pathways, thermochemical water splitting is considered particularly promising due to its potential for high efficiency and low environmental impact.

However, most conventional oxides used in this process suffer from the limitation of requiring extremely high temperatures to operate effectively. To address this challenge, the research team developed a novel iron-poor nickel ferrite (Fe-poor NiFe2O4, or NFO) that exhibits a distinct phase transformation mechanism enabling greater oxygen capacity even at lower temperatures.

Experimental results showed that the novel oxides achieved a water-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 0.528% per gram of oxides – more than double the previous best-performing material’s benchmark of 0.250%. What makes this study particularly noteworthy is not only the development of a high-efficiency catalyst but also the team’s success in unraveling the underlying mechanisms.

Using a combination of experimental techniques and computational simulations, the researchers identified the “structural active sites” within iron oxide materials that drive hydrogen production at the atomic level. They further revealed that a redox swing between two types of iron sites is directly correlated with hydrogen yield – an insight that could guide the future design of even more effective catalysts.

This research has significant implications for the development of sustainable energy sources, and it was supported by several organizations, including the Circle Foundation for Innovation Science and Technology Program, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Korea Institute of Materials Science.

Unveiling Electron Secrets: A Groundbreaking Experiment on the Bound Electron g-Factor in Lithium-Like Tin

Physicists at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics have achieved a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the limits of precision measurement. By studying the bound electron g-factor in lithium-like tin, they have made an unprecedented leap forward in our understanding of quantum electrodynamics (QED). This fundamental theory describes all electromagnetic phenomena, including light and its interactions with matter.

The researchers’ goal was to test QED’s predictions even more rigorously than ever before. They employed an enhanced interelectronic QED method, incorporating effects up to the two-loop level, which has led to a 25-fold improvement over previous calculations for the g-factor in hydrogen-like systems.

To measure the g-factor of the bound electron in lithium-like tin, the scientists utilized the cryogenic Penning trap ALPHATRAP. This sophisticated device allows precise control over the ion’s motion and spin precession. By detecting small electric signals induced by the ion’s movement and sending microwave radiation to induce spin flips, they extracted the g-factor value with remarkable accuracy.

The experimental result agrees well with the theoretical prediction within the uncertainty of the calculation. The overall accuracy achieved is 0.5 parts per billion, showcasing the precision of this experiment. This breakthrough demonstrates that scientists can continue to test QED’s predictions and push the boundaries of human knowledge in understanding the fundamental forces of nature.

The researchers’ findings have significant implications for the development of new theories and models. They demonstrate that even more precise measurements are possible with advancements in technology and theory. As a result, this experiment sets the stage for further investigations into QED phenomena, such as parity non-conserving transitions in neutral atoms and other effects.

In conclusion, this groundbreaking experiment on the bound electron g-factor in lithium-like tin has pushed the limits of precision measurement, providing new insights into QED’s predictions. The scientists’ dedication to collaborative research and innovative techniques has led to a significant leap forward in our understanding of quantum mechanics and its interactions with matter.

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has designed a liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system that could make zero-emission aviation a reality. Their work outlines a scalable, integrated system that addresses several engineering challenges at once by enabling hydrogen to be used as a clean fuel and also as a built-in cooling medium for critical power systems aboard electric-powered aircraft.

The study, published in Applied Energy, introduces a design tailored for a 100-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft that draws power from both hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen turbine-driven superconducting generators. It shows how liquid hydrogen can be efficiently stored, safely transferred, and used to cool critical onboard systems — all while supporting power demands during various flight phases like takeoff, cruising, and landing.

“Our goal was to create a single system that handles multiple critical tasks: fuel storage, cooling, and delivery control,” said Wei Guo, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and corresponding author of the study. “This design lays the foundation for real-world hydrogen aviation systems.”

Hydrogen is seen as a promising clean fuel for aviation because it packs more energy per kilogram than jet fuel and emits no carbon dioxide. However, it’s also much less dense, meaning it takes up more space unless stored as a super-cold liquid at -253°C.

To address this challenge, the team conducted a comprehensive system-level optimization to design cryogenic tanks and their associated subsystems. Instead of focusing solely on the tank, they defined a new gravimetric index, which is the ratio of the fuel mass to the full fuel system. Their index includes the mass of the hydrogen fuel, tank structure, insulation, heat exchangers, circulatory devices, and working fluids.

By repeatedly adjusting key design parameters, such as vent pressure and heat exchanger dimensions, they identified the configuration that yields the maximum fuel mass relative to total system mass. The resulting optimal configuration achieves a gravimetric index of 0.62, meaning 62% of the system’s total weight is usable hydrogen fuel, a significant improvement compared to conventional designs.

The system’s other key function is thermal management. Rather than installing a separate cooling system, the design routes the ultra-cold hydrogen through a series of heat exchangers that remove waste heat from onboard components like superconducting generators, motors, cables, and power electronics. As hydrogen absorbs this heat, its temperature gradually rises, a necessary process since hydrogen must be preheated before entering the fuel cells and turbines.

Delivering liquid hydrogen throughout the aircraft presents its own challenges. Mechanical pumps add weight and complexity and can introduce unwanted heat or risk failure under cryogenic conditions. To avoid these issues, the team developed a pump-free system that uses tank pressure to control the flow of hydrogen fuel.

The pressure is regulated using two methods: injecting hydrogen gas from a standard high-pressure cylinder to increase pressure and venting hydrogen vapor to decrease it. A feedback loop links pressure sensors to the aircraft’s power demand profile, enabling real-time adjustment of tank pressure to ensure the correct hydrogen flow rate across all flight phases. Simulations show it can deliver hydrogen at rates up to 0.25 kilograms per second, sufficient to meet the 16.2-megawatt electrical demand during takeoff or an emergency go-around.

The heat exchangers are arranged in a staged sequence. As the hydrogen flows through the system, it is preheated and delivered to the fuel cells and turbines, generating enough power to meet the demands of takeoff, cruising, and landing. The aircraft’s thermal management system routes the ultra-cold hydrogen through heat exchangers that remove waste heat from onboard components, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency throughout the flight.

This project was supported by NASA as part of the organization’s University Leadership initiative, which provides an opportunity for U.S. universities to receive NASA funding and take the lead in building their own teams and setting their own research agenda with goals that support and complement the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and its Strategic Implementation Plan.

Guo’s research was conducted at the FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which is supported by the National Science Foundation and the State of Florida.