New Catalyst Produces Hydrogen from Water
SCIENCE NEWS
August 31, 2005
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000EE96B-C0B8-1314-80B883414B7F0000
The promise of a hydrogen economy, which would lessen dependence on
nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels, hinges on the ability
to produce and store large amounts of the clean-burning element. New
results from experiments on a novel catalyst suggest that it can be used
to coax hydrogen from water without the need for severe reaction conditions.
"We have discovered a catalyst that can produce ready quantities of
hydrogen without the need for extreme cold temperatures or high
pressures, which are often required in other production and storage
methods," remarks Mahdi Abu-Omar of Purdue University. The compound he
and his colleagues used is a so-called coordination complex based on the
metal rhenium. Originally looking for a method to convert chemicals
called organosilanes into silanols, the team combined organosilanes and
water in the presence of the rhenium complex at ambient temperature and
pressure. After an hour, the reaction had produced hydrogen gas in
addition to silanols. According to a report published today in the
Journal of the American Chemical Society, the method generates a large
amount of hydrogen compared to the amount of water used.
"The big question is, of course, whether it would be economically viable
to create organosilane fuels in the quantities necessary to power a
world full of [fuel-cell] cars," Abu-Omar says. "As of right now, there
simply isn't enough demand to make more than small volumes of this
liquid, and while it's a relatively easy process, it's not dirt cheap."
One of the drawbacks, the team reports, is the high cost of the
organosilane starting materials. But if the silicon byproduct can be
sold or recycled efficiently, the new approach could be economically
feasible. The current results prove the initial premise, the scientists
say, but more tests and scrutiny are required before it could be scaled
up for wide use. --Sarah Graham
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