Novel system developed at UNIST uses lignin as raw material for hydrogen production

In South Korea, a research team at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST have developed a biofuel system that uses lignin to produce hydrogen. The system decomposes the lignin with a molybdenum catalyst to produce value-added compounds, and the electrons extracted from the lignin effectively produce hydrogen. “With this new system, we can produce hydrogen with less energy (overvoltage) than conventional water electrolysis, as there is no need for oxygen reactions, requiring high energy and precious metal catalysts” stated the first author of the study. Their method reduces the power requirement for producing hydrogen from 1.5 volts to .95 volts, which could make a tremendous difference at scale. 

Category: R&D