Green Hydrogen Via Water Splitting Earns DIFFER Grant

Debashrita Sarkar (DIFFER) investigates efficient, cost-effective electrocatalysts based on transition metals.

Innovative technologies for energy conversion and storage are becoming increasingly important in making the global energy sector more sustainable. In her Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF)-funded ECATSURF project, postdoctoral researcher Debashrita Sarkar will investigate how green hydrogen can be produced efficiently through water splitting.

Efficient energy conversion and storage technologies are crucial for the transition to more sustainable energy solutions. One promising method is the production of green hydrogen through water splitting, in which water is oxidized to release oxygen (O₂) and reduced to produce hydrogen (H₂).

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During the two-year ECATSURF project, Sarkar aims to design and develop efficient, cost-effective transition-metal-based electrocatalysts. These are materials that incorporate elements such as cobalt, iron, nickel, and molybdenum.

Sarkar: “When water is split, oxygen is produced in one part of the process and hydrogen in the other. For this to be efficient, both reactions must take place quickly. In many cases, however, the step in which oxygen is produced is slower and more challenging. This is the area where my project will add value: by developing highly efficient materials (catalysts) to convert water into oxygen and hydrogen and also monitoring the reaction in real time.”

Collaboration

For Sarkar, receiving the grant is an opportunity to grow and learn new skills. Technically, she will gain practical experience with advanced deposition methods, including the brand-new Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) facility at DIFFER. This advanced equipment will help her develop the precursor for the transition-metal catalyst. Sarkar will also collaborate closely with professors in Germany in the field of operando spectroscopy, in order to study reactions in real time.

Read more about Sarkar’s research project on the DIFFER website.