A team of researchers at Tecnologico de Monterrey has developed a nanotechnology that could reduce the production costs of green hydrogen by replacing the precious metals currently used in electrolysis processes with more abundant and less expensive materials.
The research, led by Jorge Cholula, along with Marcelo Videa and Faiz Sultan from the School of Engineering and Sciences at Tecnologico de Monterrey, focuses on developing cobalt ferrite-based electrocatalysts to improve the efficiency of green hydrogen production.
Green hydrogen is considered one of the alternatives with the greatest potential for industrial decarbonization because, when used as a fuel, it generates only water vapor. However, its production via electrolysis continues to face challenges related to energy consumption and the costs of the materials used to accelerate chemical reactions.
The research suggests that greater economic viability would accelerate the use of this energy source in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as heavy transport, aviation, manufacturing, and other industrial activities with high carbon emissions.
The project also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable and clean energy, as well as with climate action targets aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
The researchers noted that the development of efficient catalysts using abundant materials and accessible manufacturing processes could open new opportunities for green hydrogen to move from the experimental phase toward large-scale industrial applications.
