Hydrogen formed from two liquids
For the first time, an EPFL laboratory has succeeded in creating a bubble of hydrogen at the interface between two liquids. This is a significant step forward in the field of “solar fuels”.
Using the sun, water and CO2, physicists and chemists have a dream: to manufacture large quantities of new solar fuels. The idea is not new – it dates from the end of the 1970s – but it was more or less abandoned with the long-term drop in the cost of oil. The concept is now once again in the research spotlight, and its technological feasibility is not only proven, but is making rapid strides.
The Laboratoire d’électrochimie physique et analytique (LEPA) at EPFL has taken a step further, and has created a bubble of hydrogen at the interface between water and an organic solvent, using a molecular catalyser. It’s the first time that hydrogen has been obtained at the interface between two liquids without the use of a solid electrode.
Professor Hubert Girault and his team are concentrating their activities on research into the electrochemistry of soft matter. They are studying aspects such as the transfer of ions or electrons to liquid–liquid interfaces, and the conception of analytical microsystems. This work takes place within a context of a varied research program guided by the issue of “solar fuels”, artificial photosynthesis, and the production of hydrogen from water and the sun.
Solar energy is more or less infinite and can satisfy all humanity’s needs. However,we need to learn how to capture and store it. In the future, we will use the sun to create combustible materials, but there will remain a major challenge for scientists – to produce enough food. The work of Hubert Girault is already heading in this direction.