The cost of products is tied to two basic factors: the cost of the raw materials and the cost of processing those materials into the final product. In the “ideal” case, hydrogen could be generated from water. Unless you’re in the habit of buying water harvested directly from a glacier or hundreds of feet under a volcano, then water is about as cheap as it gets. The process is where the problems arise, but researchers are making inroads on bringing down the cost.
The process of creating hydrogen from water involves splitting the molecules to separate oxygen and hydrogen (i.e., electrolysis). While this can be simple enough for a middle school science experiment, to make it efficient enough for commercial hydrogen production is decidedly more complex.
A catalyst is required to drive the process efficiently, and platinum has long been the standard. It is an excellent catalyst, but it is exceptionally expensive. An alternative, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), which is often used a dry lubricant, has intrigued researchers for years, but it has never been able to match, or even reasonably compete with platinum for efficiency.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have been working on understanding how MoS2 works so they can improve its activity. Unlike platinum, MoS2, can vary in composition (between 2 and 3 oxygen atoms per molecule). Also of interest are the structural factors determining the behavior of MoS2.
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