New experiment produces hydrogen with LEDs

For decades, the possibility of using hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel has remained a captivating concept. But the need to store it at extreme pressures and ultra-cold temperatures has been an ever-present barrier to its more widespread rollout.New experiment produces hydrogen with LEDsOne possible solution is to use liquid ammonia (NH3) to store the hydrogen atoms, and then break the compound down when you need to extract the hydrogen for fuel. Ammonia is much easier to store and transport, but extracting hydrogen from it is tricky.One way to trigger this decomposition of ammonia is by using copper nanoparticles decorated with clusters of ruthenium atoms – which catalyse the reaction.When these nanoparticles are illuminated with ultra-fast laser pulses, the effect can excite the electrons on their surfaces, leaving behind positively-charged holes. Together, these electron-hole…

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