A low cost way to get sustainable hydrogen energy

Hydrogen is one element that can be found in abundance in this universe. Despite that, it is difficult and also expensive to get it in its own individual state as raw gas. There seems to be a change in this condition with the research made by the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The researchers are taking the initiative to find a method to derive raw hydrogen gas by splitting hydrogen gas from water. This can be achieved by using cheap metal catalyst. Thus this research seems to be both cost effective and efficient.

Hydrogen gas always comes as a package with carbon and water. If the research becomes successful in separating the hydrogen from water cheaply and effectively, there would be a great revolution that would introduce us to a hydrogen based power system. This would in turn open us up to a lot of growth plans. The splitting of oxygen from hydrogen requires a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis needs a lot of electricity.

The only drawback in the electrolysis is that it is expensive. The Lawrence Berkeley research team has also worked on this cost aspect. They have devised a metal called Mo-oxo for molybdenum-oxo. The catalyst requires no extra organic addictives or solvents. It can simply work on neutral or sea water. It is also interesting to know that Mo-oxo is seventy times cheaper than the platinum metal.

Initially, the Mo-oxo cannot split seawater into great volumes of hydrogen gas. The research has not attained its full form. The Berkeley team is doing a lot of research in this regard before finalizing on the apt metal for the process. They are also considering some similar metals like this that may produce hydrogen gas at an even higher efficiency at cheaper rates. If this research proves out to successful then we could see a lot of positive change happening through out the world.