Chile is actively positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen production and export, a clean fuel that is essential for national decarbonization and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Thanks to its vast solar and wind energy potential, Chile is well-positioned to produce green hydrogen via water electrolysis. In this process, electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, producing a fuel that only emits water vapor as a waste product.
In this critical scenario, the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach) is promoting the Fondef project, “Manufacture of electrocatalytic inks based on molybdenum sulfide and ionic liquids as cathode material for the hydrogen evolution reaction and its evaluation in a PEM environment,” through the Electroceramic Materials Laboratory of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, which is led by Dr. Domingo Ruiz León.
The research is funded by ANID and is being carried out in conjunction with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), as the main beneficiary, with the companies Tecnologías de Remediación Ambiental SpA and Agencias Nórdicas Ricardo Rubio Méndez y Cía. Ltda. as associated entities, in addition to the support of the Technology Management Directorate of the Vice-Rector's Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation.
“Our goal is to develop electrocatalytic inks that can be applied to the cathode of the reactors where the reaction that produces hydrogen occurs, replacing the use of expensive platinum in this process with materials that are much cheaper to manufacture. With this innovation, we aim to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of electrolysis,” explains Dr. Ruiz.
The researcher points out that the project responds directly to the roadmap promoted by the government, which seeks to solve two key challenges: the cost-effective production and storage of this energy source. “The inks we seek to develop will allow membranes to be manufactured more simply and economically, which would facilitate the scaling up of the hydrogen production process in PEM-type reactors,” he adds.
Pilot-scale Validation
This clean energy research combines the deep expertise and capabilities of the Electroceramic Materials Laboratory at Usach, which will be responsible for the synthesis and structural characterization of the inks, and the Electrochemistry Laboratory at PUC, led by researcher Dr. Mauricio Isaacs, which will be responsible for the synthesis and testing of the materials obtained in pilot-scale reactors.
In this regard, Dr. Domingo Ruiz highlights the extensive collaboration that has taken place between both laboratories in various academic projects. “We have been working together for more than 20 years, integrating knowledge in materials and electrochemistry, and now also training students in joint supervision at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” he says.
The academic adds that “as the Usach Electroceramic Materials Laboratory, we are contributing our experience in the area of renewable energy, and we hope to begin developing scalable prototypes that will allow us to move toward industrial applications in real environments.”
The project will last two years. The first stage will address the synthesis and characterization of the electrocatalytic ink, while the second will evaluate its performance in reactive membranes, testing the operational parameters in a real reactor.
“The execution and achievements in each of these phases will allow us to determine the level of consumption, the generation and quality of the hydrogen produced, as well as to determine the costs and all the industrial parameters associated with its production,” explains Dr. Ruiz.
The academic points out that the project's Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is close to 4, to reach levels 5 and 6, corresponding to experimental tests in reactors. “Progress will depend on the efficiency and purity achieved in hydrogen production, as well as the final cost of the process,” he says.
“With this research, we hope to contribute to a cleaner energy future and to Chile's consolidation as a leader in scientific innovation applied to sustainable development,” concludes Dr. Ruiz León.