Raw Biomass Electroreforming Coupled to Green Hydrogen Generation

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2021 Apr 1

PMID 33790295

Citations 19

Authors

Hu Zhao

Dan Lu

Jiarui Wang

Wenguang Tu

Dan Wu

See Wee Koh

Pingqi Gao

Zhichuan J Xu

Sili Deng

Yan Zhou

Bo You

Hong Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite the tremendous progress of coupling organic electrooxidation with hydrogen generation in a hybrid electrolysis, electroreforming of raw biomass coupled to green hydrogen generation has not been reported yet due to the rigid polymeric structures of raw biomass. Herein, we electrooxidize the most abundant natural amino biopolymer chitin to acetate with over 90% yield in hybrid electrolysis. The overall energy consumption of electrolysis can be reduced by 15% due to the thermodynamically and kinetically more favorable chitin oxidation over water oxidation. In obvious contrast to small organics as the anodic reactant, the abundance of chitin endows the new oxidation reaction excellent scalability. A solar-driven electroreforming of chitin and chitin-containing shrimp shell waste is coupled to safe green hydrogen production thanks to the liquid anodic product and suppression of oxygen evolution. Our work thus demonstrates a scalable and safe process for resource upcycling and green hydrogen production for a sustainable energy future.

Citing Articles

Biomass-Based Hydrogen Extraction and Accompanying Hazards-Review.

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Methanol-Enhanced Low-Cell-Voltage Hydrogen Generation at Industrial-Grade Current Density by Triadic Active Sites of Pt-Pd-(Ni,Co)(OH).

Pei A, Xie R, Zhu L, Wu F, Huang Z, Pang Y J Am Chem Soc. 2025; 147(4):3185-3194.

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Self-sacrificing and self-supporting biomass carbon anode-assisted water electrolysis for low-cost hydrogen production.

Huang Y, Zhou W, Xie L, Meng X, Li J, Gao J Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024; 121(47):e2316352121.

PMID: 39541345 PMC: 11588069. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316352121.

A comprehensive review of production, applications, and the path to a sustainable energy future with hydrogen.

Jumah A RSC Adv. 2024; 14(36):26400-26423.

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Near-infrared light-driven biomass conversion.

Hong L, Zhang H, Hu L, Xiao R, Chu S Sci Adv. 2024; 10(30):eadn9441.

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