Water and electricity to produce hydrogen: this is the electrolysis of water, a reaction that many high school students have performed during chemistry practicals. A seemingly simple reaction, but "breaking down" the water molecules requires a substantial input of energy.
That's where catalysts come in! Or rather THE catalyst: platinum, used today to produce the hydrogen that drives hydrogen-powered vehicles.
But platinum is a rare and expensive metal, which slows down the large-scale development of this environmentally-friendly process.
Hence the need to find other catalysts, composed of abundant metals, which are stable, less expensive, but just as efficient as platinum.
Follow the scientists from the French HYKALIN consortium, who have come to the SAMBA beamline to test new catalysts for this hydrogen production reaction.
Watch the video "Stepping on the accelerator for hydrogen production"
