British researchers have developed a solar hydrogen production technology that uses low-cost organic materials to create clean hydrogen fuel.
UK researchers have created a new solar hydrogen production technology that turns sunlight into hydrogen fuel using cheap, common materials. The breakthrough could help make clean energy more affordable for everyone.
Scientists from Imperial College London and Queen Mary University of London built a device that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight. Their results were published in the journal Nature Energy.
Most current methods to make hydrogen from sunlight use expensive materials that break down quickly in water. This has prevented solar hydrogen production technology from being widely used.
The UK team solved this problem by designing a multi-layer device. They combined organic materials (similar to plastics) with a protective graphite sheet coated with nickel and iron.
“Our work shows that high-performance, stable solar water splitting can be achieved using low-cost, scalable organic materials,” said Dr. Flurin Eisner from Queen Mary University of London.
Dr. Eisner explained that these organic materials can be easily adjusted to absorb different types of light. This makes them very flexible for different applications.
The new device produced electricity at over 25 milliamps per square centimeter. This technical measurement represents a major improvement over previous systems.
Earlier versions of similar solar hydrogen production technology would stop working after just a few hours. The UK team’s device kept running for days without breaking down.
The researchers also built complete water-splitting systems that generate hydrogen using only water and sunlight. These systems reached 5% efficiency in converting solar energy to hydrogen.
While 5% might sound small, it’s actually a significant achievement for this type of technology. It means no additional electricity is needed to produce the hydrogen.
The device uses a special layer made of organic materials that absorb sunlight. This layer is protected by graphite—the same material found in pencils.
The graphite is coated with catalysts made from nickel and iron. These common metals help speed up the chemical reaction that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.
“The approach leverages the advantages of organic bulk heterojunctions,” explained Dr. Salvador Eslava from Imperial College London. In simpler terms, they’re using materials that create electricity when exposed to light.
These materials are made from abundant elements and are easy to process. This makes manufacturing much simpler than with other technologies.
Hydrogen is considered an important fuel for a clean energy future. When used, it produces only water as a byproduct—no pollution or greenhouse gases.
The environmental impact of this solar hydrogen production technology could be substantial. According to industry estimates, if solar-powered hydrogen replaced just 10% of hydrogen currently produced from natural gas, it could reduce global carbon emissions by approximately 60 million tons annually. That’s equivalent to taking about 13 million cars off the road for a year.
The challenge has always been producing hydrogen in a clean, affordable way. Most hydrogen today comes from natural gas, which creates carbon emissions. For every kilogram of hydrogen produced using conventional methods, approximately 9 kilograms of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere.
Solar-powered hydrogen production could change this by using only sunlight and water. This would create truly clean hydrogen fuel with a near-zero carbon footprint throughout its entire lifecycle.
The new technology could be especially useful in places without reliable electricity. Remote areas could potentially produce their own hydrogen fuel using just sunlight and water.
The research team is now working to improve the stability of the materials even further. They also plan to scale up the technology for industrial use.
“I believe that our insights and guidelines will be valuable for further improving the stability and performance of such organic photoelectrochemical devices towards real-world application,” said Dr. Matyas Daboczi, the study’s first author.
If successful, this solar hydrogen production technology could help make hydrogen a more practical alternative to fossil fuels. This would reduce carbon emissions and help fight climate change.
The team’s work represents an important step forward in making renewable energy more accessible. By using common, low-cost materials, they’re bringing clean hydrogen production closer to everyday reality.
Clean hydrogen production has been a major goal of energy researchers for decades. This breakthrough adds to growing evidence that renewable hydrogen could become commercially viable soon.
Unlike batteries, which lose charge over time, hydrogen can store energy for long periods. This makes it valuable for balancing out the intermittent nature of solar and wind power.
If this solar hydrogen production technology continues to improve, we might eventually see hydrogen fuel cells powering everything from cars to home heating systems. All with zero emissions at the point of use.
The UK team’s innovation shows that sometimes, the best solutions come from combining existing materials in new ways. Their multi-layer approach protects vulnerable components while maximizing efficiency.
As countries around the world look for ways to reduce carbon emissions, technologies like this will play an increasingly important role. Clean hydrogen could help decarbonize industries that are difficult to electrify, like steel manufacturing and shipping, which currently account for about 20% of global carbon emissions.
While more work remains before this technology reaches commercial use, the researchers have provided a promising pathway forward. Their approach demonstrates that sustainable, affordable clean energy solutions are within reach.
