Two Remarkable Achievements
The scientific communities worldwide are increasingly looking for cleaner fuel alternatives, such as hydrogen, in an endeavor to transform the world with carbon neutrality. Academic institutions are playing their part in this race against time. A team of researchers from Tohoku University, Japan, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, has had a breakthrough in improving the efficiency of the photocatalytic reaction that splits water into hydrogen.
Tohoku University Professor Yuichi Negishi, the lead researcher of this project, explains, "Water-splitting photocatalysts can produce hydrogen (H2) from only sunlight and water. However, the process hasn't been optimized sufficiently for practical applications. If we can improve the activity, hydrogen can be harnessed for the realization of a next-generation energy society." The new research team has found a new method by using ultrafine rhodium (Rh)-chromium (Cr) mixed-oxide (Rh2-xCrxO3) cocatalysts with a particle size of about 1 nm. Then, they loaded crystal facet-selectively onto a photocatalyst. To add some context, previous studies have not been able to accomplish these combinations in a single reaction: a tiny cocatalyst that can also be placed on specific regions of the photocatalyst.
In truth, Tohoku University is best known for its research. Recently, Tohoku researchers achieved yet another significant breakthrough in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The team developed a new catalyst that allows for precise control over their atomic arrangement, known as chirality. This special issue of CEO Insights sheds more light on the university, focusing on some of the prestigious alumni of the institute. Do let us know your thoughts.