USC chemists turn greenhouse gas into hydrogen fuel
The new method generates hydrogen and stores it efficiently, and without further polluting the environment
USC News | Emily Gersema | June 17, 2016
A future with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen-powered smartphones is much closer to reality.
USC researchers have found a clean method of turning greenhouse gas into hydrogen fuel, according to a study published recently in the journal Nature Communications. They believe they are the first to have developed this method.
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Researchers had been stuck on a significant challenge holding up the development and commercialization of this technology: generating and storing hydrogen effectively, and without further polluting the environment.
Chemists at the USC Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute found a way to produce hydrogen while also recycling harmful carbon dioxide through the dehydrogenation of formic acid. And, unlike prior methods, the catalyst that they developed in-house releases hydrogen without involving more pollutants.
Formic acid occurs naturally in the venom of bee and ant stings or through the decay of vegetation. It also can be made by reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen. So it appeals to scientists as a carrier and storage reservoir for hydrogen...snip
Wicked problems
Climate change is one of the wicked problems that researchers throughout USC from earth sciences to biology study and address through innovative research, testing and development...snip
Read More: https://news.usc.edu/102214/usc-chemists-turn-greenhouse-gas-into-hydrogen-fuel/
Uploaded on Jun 15, 2016: USC Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
At USC, H2 is #1