Tomsk Polytechnic University Develops New Photocatalytic Material for Green Hydrogen Production

Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), in collaboration with an international team, have successfully synthesized a new class of photocatalytic materials for hydrogen production from water molecules using electrospark erosion. This marks the first time such materials have been synthesized through this method, and the university emphasizes their potential in advancing 'green' energy solutions.

The TPU research team synthesized binary nanocomposite materials composed of tungsten disulfide and zinc oxide. According to Damir Valiev, associate professor of the materials science department at the Engineering School of New Production Technologies, the synthesis was performed by electrospark erosion of zinc granules in aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions, with the simultaneous addition of nanostructured tungsten disulfide powder to the reaction zone.

The resulting material was then applied to the electrode (photoanode) of a photoelectrochemical cell for experiments in hydrogen generation. Valiev noted, "The research showed that the nanostructures obtained have good potential to be used as photoanode material for photoelectrochemical splitting of water to produce hydrogen for green energy applications."

The study included collaboration between the Engineering School of New Production Technologies and the Engineering School of Nuclear Technologies at TPU, as well as scientists from the African University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The research was conducted under the Russian Ministry of Education and Science's federal program 'Priority-2030,' which is part of the national project 'Science and Universities.'