‘Lasagna-like’ layered structure could triple productivity of water splitting

A new cobalt–tungsten catalyst could triple the productivity of water splitting without relying on expensive and scarce metals. While other studies focused on tweaking the catalyst composition and improving isolated metrics, the team led by Pelayo García de Arquer from ICFO in Barcelona, Spain, designed a totally new ‘lasagna-like’ layered material that ‘actively involves the ingredients of the reaction’, boosting activity. It’s also an attractive alternative for the generation of green hydrogen, as it showcases a high stability at industrial conditions.

Using renewable electricity to split water yields ‘green’ hydrogen, a clean alternative to ‘grey’ hydrogen obtained by the reforming of fossil fuels. However, state-of-the-art industrial processes rely on scarce ingredients, such as iridium and platinum, key to catalyse the oxygen evolution reaction. Chemists are still seeking sustainable solutions to this problem looking to more abundant metals, which could cut costs too.