On Wednesday, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) told the media that for the first time, a team of scientists formed a reactor that generates a substantial amount of hydrogen utilising sustainable sources such as sunlight and water, which is a cost-effective and sustainable method. In a statement, it said that the large-scale prototype reactor development with photocatalysts (suspended powders) and successful use of those in large-scale hydrogen generation is under process. The development implies importance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day speech, had declared the National Hydrogen Mission launch to expedite plans to produce carbon-free fuel from renewables since he set an aim of 2047 for the nation to attain self-reliance in energy. India has set an aim of 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. To accomplish this, researchers are operating towards renewable energy solutions that should be sustainable with a limited carbon footprint. One of the most economical methods to accomplish this is to generate hydrogen at a large scale by photocatalytic water splitting. It is the long-term persistent solution for the increasing renewable energy demands and a low-cost economic process that will help society in the longer term. Consequently, significant efforts from scientists towards accomplishing this aim are of utmost necessity and an urgent requirement of the hour. In this direction, Kamalakannan Kailasam and his team, involving Vivek Bagchi, Professor Ashok K Ganguli, Prakash P N, Sanyasinaidu Boddu and Menaka Jha from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) in Mohali, have produced a prototype reactor that works under natural sunlight to generate hydrogen at a larger scale (about 6.1 litres in eight hours). They have utilised an earth-abundant chemical named carbon nitrides as a catalyst for the goal. The process was attempted many times by many researchers utilising complex metal oxide or nitride or sulphide-based heterogeneous systems, but it was very challenging to regenerate hydrogen in large amounts. The INST team used the low-cost organic semiconductor in carbon nitrides, which can be made using cheaper precursors like urea and melamine at ease on a kilogram scale. When the sunlight falls on this semiconductor, electrons and holes are produced. The electrons lessen the protons to generate hydrogen, and the holes are consumed by some chemical agents named sacrificial agents. If the holes are not used, they will recombine with the electrons. This work is backed by the DST Nano Mission NATDP project and the related article has been published recently in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The team is in the process of securing a patent for the technology. The INST team has been operating in this area of photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen for quite some time now. The INST team commenced from the lab-scale method to the bulk scale of forming the photocatalyst and hydrogen generation by a large prototype reactor. The team is in the process of optimising the hydrogen generation with effective sunlight hours, in enhancement to the purity of the hydrogen, moisture traps and gas separation membranes so as to hyphenate with the fuel cells. Hydrogen produced in this way can be utilised in many modes like electricity production via fuel cells in remote tribal regions, hydrogen stoves and powering small gadgets, to mention a few. Ultimately, they can power transformers and e-vehicles, which are long-term research aims that are under progress, as per the statement. Image SourceAlso read: Wood, Honeywell work for cleaner sustainable aviation fuel solutions Also read: India and US to expand energy partnership through emerging fuels