The Impressive TimesBengaluru | June 20- In a landmark stride towards sustainable energy, Indian scientists have engineered a new-generation solar device capable of producing green hydrogen by splitting water molecules—using only sunlight and abundantly available materials.
Developed by a team at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru—an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST)—the innovation marks a significant advancement in India’s clean energy mission under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative.
Headed by Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, the team built a silicon-based photoanode using a unique n-i-p heterojunction architecture, made of:
n-type Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂)
Intrinsic (undoped) Silicon
p-type Nickel Oxide (NiO)
These materials, layered through the industry-ready magnetron sputtering technique, allow superior light absorption and charge transport while minimizing recombination losses—crucial factors for high-efficiency solar water splitting.
High Surface Photovoltage: 600 mV
Ultra-low Onset Potential: ~0.11 V_RHE
Robust Durability: Over 10 hours of continuous operation with just 4% performance degradation
Scalable Efficiency: Demonstrated success with a 25 cm² photoanode, showing potential for commercial applications
“This device is designed for real-world application,” said Dr. Singh. “By selecting compatible earth-abundant materials and using scalable fabrication methods, we’ve opened the door to cost-effective, large-scale hydrogen production—powered entirely by solar energy.”
Published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A (Royal Society of Chemistry), this work could revolutionize renewable energy systems—from hydrogen-powered homes to industrial energy storage—without relying on fossil fuels.
No Comments: