A team of scientists at Linköping University in Sweden has made a groundbreaking discovery in the production of green hydrogen, a promising renewable energy source. By developing a new triple-layer material, they have supercharged the energy yield by an impressive 800%.

Hydrogen produced from water is becoming increasingly important as the world shifts away from fossil fuels. The EU plans to ban new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035, making electric motors more common in vehicles. However, heavy trucks, ships, and aircraft require alternative energy sources, where hydrogen comes into play.

The researchers have previously shown that cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) has beneficial properties for facilitating the reaction where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen. Now, they’ve further developed a combined material consisting of three layers: a layer of 3C-SiC, a layer of cobalt oxide, and a catalyst material that helps to split water.

The new material, known as Ni(OH)2/Co3O4/3C-SiC, has demonstrated eight times better performance than pure cubic silicon carbide for splitting water into hydrogen. When sunlight hits the material, electric charges are generated, which are then used to split water. By combining the three layers, the researchers have improved the ability to separate positive and negative charges, making the splitting of water more effective.

The distinction between “grey” and “green” hydrogen is crucial in this context. Almost all hydrogen present on the market is “grey” hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, with significant environmental consequences. In contrast, “green” hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity as a source of energy.

Linköping University researchers aim to utilize only solar energy to drive the photochemical reaction to produce “green” hydrogen. Currently, materials under development have an efficiency of between 1 and 3 per cent, but for commercialization, the target is 10% efficiency. The research team estimates that it may take around five to ten years to develop materials that reach this coveted limit.

The study has been funded by several organizations, including the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT), the Olle Engkvists Stiftelse, the ÅForsk Foundation, the Carl Tryggers Stiftelse, and through the Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Advanced Functional Materials (AFM) at Linköping University.

This breakthrough has the potential to significantly impact the renewable energy landscape, making green hydrogen production more efficient and cost-effective. As researchers continue to push the boundaries of this technology, we can expect even more exciting developments in the future.

The world’s transition to electric vehicles is driving demand for lithium, a crucial mineral used in lightweight and powerful lithium-ion batteries. A recent analysis from the University of California, Davis, has shed light on how new mining operations and battery recycling could meet this growing demand. Recycling, it turns out, plays a significant role in easing supply constraints.

“Batteries are an enormous new source of demand for lithium,” says Alissa Kendall, Ray B. Krone endowed professor of Environmental Engineering at UC Davis and senior author on the paper. “Global demand for lithium has risen dramatically – by 30% between 2022 and 2023 alone – as adoption of electric vehicles continues.”

Previous research has focused on forecasting cumulative demand over the next 30 years compared to what is known to be in the ground, says graduate student Pablo Busch, first author on the paper. However, opening a new lithium mine is a potentially billion-dollar investment that could take 10 to 15 years to begin production.

New mining proposals can be delayed or cancelled by environmental regulations and local opposition. “It’s not just about having enough lithium; it’s how fast you can extract it,” Busch notes. “Any supply disruption will slow down electric vehicle adoption, reducing mobility access and extending the operation of combustion engine vehicles and their associated carbon emissions.”

There are three main sources of usable lithium: briny water from deep underground; rocks; and sedimentary clays. Half the world’s lithium currently comes from Australia, where it is mostly mined from rock. The United States has lithium-rich brine in geothermal areas and oilfields, as well as lithium-bearing clay.

A fourth source of lithium – recycling old batteries – is still a relatively expensive process compared to mining, Kendall notes. However, modeling supply and demand shows that recycling could dramatically reduce the need for new mines. Under high-demand scenarios, up to 85 new and additional lithium deposits would need to be opened by 2050. But through policies that push the market toward smaller batteries and extensive global recycling, this number could be reduced to as few as 15 new mines.

Battery recycling has an outsize effect on the market, the researchers say. “Recycling is really important for geopolitical and environmental reasons,” Kendall notes. “If you can meet a small percentage of demand with recycling, it can have a big impact on the need for new mines.”

Timing is everything; some new mines need to open to create a flow of lithium that can be recycled. Depending on the demand scenario, recycling would make the biggest difference around 2035.

Efficiency standards for electric cars and improvements to the public charging network to reduce “range anxiety” could also moderate lithium demand by encouraging smaller cars. Additional authors include Yunzhu Chen and Prosper Ogbonna, both at UC Davis, with funding from the Heising-Simons Foundation and the ClimateWorks Foundation.

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.