Efficient and selective water electrolysis for clean energy and environment
R&D Focus Areas:
Electrolysis, Nanomaterials
Lead Organisation:
Curtin University
Partners:
Not Applicable
Status:
Active
Start date:
January 2023
Completion date:
December 2025
Key contacts:
Chief Investigator Professor Dr Zongping Shao – zongping.shao@curtin.edu.au
Funding:
AUD$432,435 – Australian Research Council
Project total cost:
Not Applicable
Project summary description:
This project aims to deliver a new technology that enables the conversion of renewable solar energy into hydrogen as a green fuel, and the production of a by-product, peroxide, which is important for wastewater treatment.
The key concept lies in the development of an innovative electrocatalyst that enables efficient and selective production of peroxide instead of the formation of oxygen. This approach reduces the energy input and increases the value of the products. The adoption of this innovative method can reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions and accelerate the energy transformation in Australia.
Peroxide can be used for wastewater treatment to provide cleaner water with substantial resulting societal benefits. The success of this project may offer more efficient options for production of useful chemicals, which will benefit Australia’s manufacturing and chemical industries.
Related publications and key links:
Abdelghafar, F., Xu, X., Guan, D., Lin, Z., Hu, Z., Ni, M., … Shao, Z. (2024). New Nanocomposites Derived from Cation-Nonstoichiometric Bax(Co, Fe, Zr, Y)O3−δ as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Water Oxidation in Alkaline Solution. ACS Materials Letters, 6(7), 2985-2994. doi: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.4c00789
Xu, X., Zhong, Y., Wajrak, M., Bhatelia, T., Jiang, S. P., Shao, Z. (2024). Grain boundary engineering: An emerging pathway toward efficient electrocatalysis. InfoMat, 6(8), e12608. doi: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/inf2.12608
Higher degree studies supported:
Two PhD students in the WA School of Mines, Curtin University, will be supported by this project.
Reviewed: August 2024