Green hydrogen is a promising alternative energy source that can be obtained from renewable energy sources. A research team from Yonsei University led by Prof. Woo-Young Shim has developed a more efficient and eco-friendly layered silicon photocatalyst for generating green hydrogen compared to existing metal compound-based photocatalysts. Their findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) journal in October.

Metal-based photocatalysts generate hydrogen but are toxic and have limited sunlight absorption. Safer and more efficient options are needed to utilize solar energy fully.

Prof. Woo-Young Shim's team at Yonsei Uni has discovered an efficient photocatalyst by layered structuring silicon, resulting in high sunlight absorption and hydrogen generation. The research reveals an innovative approach to solar energy, with significant implications for clean and sustainable solutions.

The research team discovered that creating a unique surface structure can enhance the efficiency of hydrogen generation compared to the general surface. They conducted experiments and simulations to prove this.

Furthermore, the team found that adjusting the volume of the internal pores can not only maximize the hydrogen generation efficiency but also control the absorption of sunlight. This eventually led to the development of an optimal design for the photocatalyst.

It is expected to secure a share of the green hydrogen market by making non-metallic materials, which have been limited in use due to low efficiency, into photocatalysts with unique surface structures and opening up material applications that are not present in the existing photocatalyst market.

Schematic of layered silicon with unique surfaces

[Reference] Lee, Minwoo, et al. "Nontypical Wulff-Shape Silicon Nanosheets with High Catalytic Activity." Journal of the American Chemical Society (2023).

[Main Author] Minwoo Lee (Yonsei University), Taehoon Kim (Yonsei University), Woosun Jang (Yonsei University)

* Contact : wshim@yonsei.ac.kr