Researchers Ashutosh Krishna Amaram, Aaditya Roy, and Raghavan Ranganathan from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have conducted a study on the potential of a novel material, Goldene, to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a crucial process in hydrogen production. Their work, published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C, explores the unique properties of Goldene and its variants to improve the efficiency of this reaction.
Goldene is a two-dimensional sheet of gold that has recently been synthesized, offering a high specific surface area and unique electronic properties. The researchers investigated the adsorption of hydrogen atoms on different forms of Goldene, including pristine Goldene, monovacant Goldene, and sulfur-functionalized variants. The adsorption energy of a single hydrogen atom, known as ΔG_H, is a key descriptor for HER activity, as it determines the efficiency of the Volmer step in the hydrogen evolution reaction.
The study found that the adsorption of hydrogen atoms on Goldene and its variants significantly impacts various descriptors such as Bader charges, d-band shift, and exchange current density. These findings suggest that Goldene and its derivatives could potentially enhance the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction, which is a critical process in the production of hydrogen fuel. The high specific surface area of Goldene, roughly twice that of fine nanodots, makes it a promising candidate for use in energy storage and conversion devices.
For the energy industry, this research highlights the potential of Goldene and its variants to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production. Hydrogen is a clean and renewable energy source, and enhancing the hydrogen evolution reaction could make it more viable for large-scale energy storage and distribution. The unique properties of Goldene, including its high specific surface area and unique electronic properties, make it a promising material for use in energy storage and conversion devices. Further research and development in this area could lead to significant advancements in the field of renewable energy.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.