N.C. A&T researchers use unique design to produce renewable 'green hydrogen'

A research team at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has a unique design for a material to assist with the production of a renewable energy source.

Bishnu Bastakoti and his team set out to design a material that can better facilitate the production of green hydrogen — a clean and renewable energy source with minimal emissions.

Sunlight can aid in its production, but that comes with challenges, like cloudy weather. So, researchers used a solar simulator, which allowed them to control light and moisture levels and measure the resulting hydrogen. 

In this controlled environment, they hypothesized that “iron titanate," which helps reduce carbon dioxide and facilitates hydrogen generation, could more efficiently produce green hydrogen. In fact, they yielded nearly twice as much as commercially available material.

Bastakoti supports the transition to renewable energy sources, arguing that while the costs of producing hydrogen energy are high, the long-term benefits are worth it.