Scientists introduce scalable method to efficiently squeeze hydrogen from seawater
In their experiment, researchers successfully extracted hydrogen without removing the mineral salts found in seawater or adding any chemicals.
Published in the journal Small, the study utilizes the strategic integration of carbonate (CO₃2⁻) Lewis base sites anchored on a Cobalt layered double hydroxides (Co LDH) embedded within a NiBOx nanostructure supported by a Ni(OH)₂/NF microarray.The research team revealed that incorporating boron into the Ni-OOH matrix forms a protective metaborate film, preventing metal dissolution and non-conductive oxide formation, thereby enhancing current collector corrosion resistance in saline seawater conditions."We developed a novel, multi-layered electrode that can extract hydrogen directly from seawater efficiently and sustainably. Traditional methods face a host of problems, mainly corrosion and performance degradation caused by chloride ions in seawater," said Dr. Tanveer Ul Haq, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sharjah and the study's lead author.
The custom-built electrode overcomes multiple challenges by creating a protective and reactive microenvironment that boosts performance while resisting damage.The researchers' new advanced anode design achieves an industrially viable current density of 1.0 A cm⁻2 at 1.65 V under standard conditions, marking a significant step toward scalable, desalination-free hydrogen production directly from seawater."The CO₃2⁻ Lewis base covalently functionalized on Co-active sites, establishes a dynamic interaction that continuously splits water molecules while sequestering H⁺ ions, generating a localized acidic microenvironment," said researchers in the study."This acidification enhances OER kinetics and protects against chloride attack and precipitate formation, addressing key stability and efficiency barriers in direct seawater electrolysis."
By eliminating the need for freshwater and energy-intensive desalination, the technology could enable solar-powered hydrogen farms in arid coastal areas such as those in the UAE, where seawater and sunlight are plentiful but freshwater is scarce. If scaled up properly, the system could make it easier to produce large quantities of 'green hydrogen', produced through electrolysis with using renewable energy, reported Engineering & Technology.
Yousef Haik, Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the University of Sharjah and the study's corresponding author, stated that the new system generates hydrogen at industrially relevant rates—1 ampere per square centimeter—with low energy input.
This could revolutionize how we think about hydrogen production in coastal regions, especially in arid countries like the UAE, where freshwater is limited but sunlight and seawater are abundant. The technology's strength lies in the electrode's advanced, multilayered structure, which not only withstands harsh seawater conditions but thrives in them, reported SciTechDaily.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
3 hours ago
- Medscape
Lithium Deficiency May Spur Alzheimer's, Guide Treatment
Lithium, long prescribed for bipolar disorder and as an adjunct in depression, is essential for brain resilience, and new research suggests that deficiency of the mineral in neural tissue may contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD). For the first time, investigators found that lithium is sequestered by amyloid plaques in AD, depleting its availability in neural tissue. In addition, they found that a novel lithium-based compound engineered to bypass plaque binding reversed synaptic and cognitive deficits in mouse models and has the potential to restore memory In addition, analyses of human brain tissue showed that loss of lithium was one of the earliest changes leading up to AD. In mice with lowered lithium levels, researchers found similar accelerated brain pathology and memory decline. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain are a hallmark of AD. When they develop early in the disease, they bind to lithium, inhibiting uptake of the mineral in the brain and lead to the reduced lithium levels observed in the study. Researchers also identified a plaque-evading lithium salt that, when administered to mouse models with AD, was associated with significantly reduced AD-type pathology and improved memory. 'We found that endogenous lithium in the brain changed during aging, and this could be recapitulated in mouse models of the disease,' coinvestigator Bruce A. Yankner, MD, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, told Medscape Medical News. 'Importantly, by simply depleting [lithium] from the mouse diet, we found that it had protean effects, changing the cell biology of the aging brain, the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, and parameters of neurocognitive function,' Yankner added. The findings were published online on August 6 in Nature . A 10-Year Journey About 10 years ago, the same researchers found that the neuron-restrictive silencer factor, the transcription factor (REST), which was previously established as a central regulator of neural development, was involved in the brain's response to aging and AD, Yankner said. A component of this discovery was the regulation of REST by the Wnt signaling pathway. Lithium is a classic approach to activating Wnt signaling, he added. 'While using lithium in this context, we were impressed with its ability to reduce all the various neuropathologic and cellular changes in animal models of Alzheimer's,' Yankner said. 'I wondered whether lithium itself might be part of the disease mechanism.' So the Yankner and his team set out to determine whether there might be endogenous lithium in the human brain. Using high-sensitivity inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry adapted for human brain and blood samples, researchers measured 27 abundant and trace metals in the brains and blood of individuals with normal cognition, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or AD. To Yankner's surprise, of all the major and trace metals analyzed, only lithium was significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex of participants with MCI or AD. It also had the lowest P value of any metal. 'Other metals changed in AD, but they did not show significant changes in MCI, the earliest stage of memory loss,' Yankner said. In addition, every case of MCI and AD showed significant concentrations of lithium in Aβ plaques. 'Together, these results indicate that endogenous [lithium] homeostasis is perturbed in the brain in MCI and AD,' the investigators wrote. Lithium as a Potential Treatment? The researchers also found cortical distribution of endogenous lithium in Aβ precursor proteins in mice. Reducing cortical lithium by 50% not only increased Aβ and phosphor-tau in the animal models but also increased inflammatory microglial activation and cognitive decline. The use of lithium orotate, a lithium salt with reduced amyloid binding, led to reduced pathological changes, reduced memory loss, and restored microglial function, and may be 'a potential approach to the prevention and treatment of AD,' the researchers wrote. Lithium toxicity is a concern for older patients who receive highly concentrated formulations of the drug to treat psychiatric illness. But lithium orotate is significantly less concentrated and mice treated with the compound showed no evidence of toxicity. Yankner said that, from a clinical standpoint, his team will now advance on two fronts. First, they are exploring ways to detect lithium deficiency early, either by measuring it directly or through surrogate markers. Second, they aim to identify subpopulations most likely to benefit from lithium based on clinical and biochemical criteria. 'As a neuroscientist, I am excited about exploring the physiology of lithium in the brain. Our single nucleus RNA sequencing data suggests that there are significant effects of endogenous lithium on all brain cell types we examined,' Yankner said. 'I believe that future studies may uncover some very interesting biology,' he added. Several Limitations Commenting on the study for Medscape Medical News, Ozama Ismail, PhD, director of Scientific Programs at the Alzheimer's Association, said a major limitation to interpreting the findings is the use of a mouse model. 'Animal models do not directly replicate Alzheimer's in humans; rather, they can provide some insights into the biology of disease progression and development. The mouse models have been modified to accumulate amyloid beta, a hallmark protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's,' said Ismail, who was not involved with the research. He noted that studies in mouse models represent a crucial early step in the development of any therapeutic intervention. 'However, before we can know the exact role of this metal in Alzheimer's biology, much more research is needed to understand the effect of lithium levels in the brain in people from a wide variety of communities and different health status,' he said, adding that large clinical trials are also needed to understand whether lithium really can be therapeutic for AD. Ismail emphasized the importance of investigating all potential therapies, noting that, as with other major diseases, effective treatment for AD will likely require a combination of medications and lifestyle interventions. Regarding the human analyses in the current study, he emphasized that the findings do not clarify the mechanism behind the reduced lithium levels — whether the disease itself causes the decrease or another factor indirectly lowers them. As for the human analyses in the current study, he pointed out that the findings do not explain the mechanism driving the reduced lithium in these individuals — whether the disease itself is causing the reduction or if another factor may be indirectly lowering the levels. 'This is where the animal study comes in, as it tries to get to the mechanism, and suggests that when lithium is lower, amyloid is higher. This might be due to immune changes or metabolic changes, and we need more research to understand this better,' Ismail said.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Natural compound found in popular hot drink could protect brain against Alzheimer's, study finds
Scientists have identified two natural compounds that could help reverse ageing in brain cells and remove harmful protein buildup, raising hopes for a non-drug approach to treat Alzheimer's disease. The research, published in the journal GeroScience, identifies two natural compounds, nicotinamide – a form of vitamin B3 – and an antioxidant found in green tea called epigallocatechin gallate, which help restore a key molecule that fuels energy production in brain cells. Researchers found that nerve cells treated with these compounds not only experienced reversal of age-related decline but also an enhanced ability to clear away amyloid protein clusters, a hallmark feature of Alzheimer's. 'As people age, their brains show a decline in neuronal energy levels, which limits the ability to remove unwanted proteins and damaged components,' said Gregory Brewer, lead author of the study. 'We found that restoring energy levels helps neurons regain this critical cleanup function,' Dr Brewer said. Researchers used a fluorescent molecule to track live guanosine triphosphate levels in neurons from aged mice showing signs of Alzheimer's. Scientists found that the levels of energy-rich molecules GTP declined with age – particularly in the cells' mitochondria – leading to impaired elimination of cells with damaged components in a process called autophagy. While it is known that autophagy, the cell's natural clean-up process, plays a key role in maintaining the health of tissues and organs, what part of ageing causes impairment in this process remains elusive. When aged nerve cells were treated for just 24 hours with the study molecules nicotinamide and epigallocatechin gallate, the GTP levels were restored to levels typically seen in younger cells. 'Our results reveal age and AD-related neuronal GTP energy deficits that impair autophagy,' scientists wrote. The molecules also improved energy metabolism within these cells, as well as efficient clearance of amyloid beta clusters. 'By supplementing the brain's energy systems with compounds that are already available as dietary supplements, we may have a new path toward treating age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease,' Dr Brewer said. 'This study highlights GTP as a previously under-appreciated energy source driving vital brain functions,' he added. Researchers cautioned that more studies are required to find the best way to administer the compounds as treatment. A recent study also showed that nicotinamide was not very effective when taken orally due to its inactivation in the bloodstream. However, the findings point to promising strategies to rescue neurons in the brain's hippocampus from energy deficits related to ageing and Alzheimer's disease, researchers say. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists stunned by discovery after analyzing 160 days of camera footage in national park: 'I was very surprised'
Scientists stunned by discovery after analyzing 160 days of camera footage in national park: 'I was very surprised' Scientists have learned that outdoor activities on mountain paths affect deer and elk in different ways, with some animals avoiding busy routes and others seeking them out, reported Montrose Press. What's happening? Researchers from Western Colorado University placed over 100 cameras across 59 locations in the Upper Gunnison Basin to track how animals respond to human activity on trails. The cameras captured roughly 130,000 images of people using paths over 160 days, along with 22,000 deer photos and 10,000 elk photos. The findings showed stark differences between species. Elk stayed away from zones up to 655 meters from busy paths, and more human traffic pushed them even further back. Deer did the opposite, showing up more often near popular routes. "I was very surprised by the number of recreators that are out there! At some cameras, it was almost nonstop traffic throughout the day and sometimes into the night and early morning," said researcher Chloe Beaupré, per Montrose Press. The study examined different path types, from backcountry roads to hiking-only routes, providing comprehensive data about how recreation affects animals across the region. Why is trail recreation impact important? Growing outdoor activity across western regions creates invisible boundaries that reshape where animals live and feed. When elk avoid large zones around paths, they lose access to food sources and safe spaces they've used for generations. This habitat loss forces animals into smaller territories, potentially affecting their health and reproduction rates. Fewer elk near trails could mean fewer wildlife viewing opportunities that draw tourists and support local economies. These shifting patterns affect entire ecosystems. Changes in where large animals graze alter plant growth patterns, which affects smaller creatures and insects that depend on specific vegetation. What can I do to help reduce trail impacts? If you enjoy hiking or biking, stick to designated paths rather than creating new routes through untouched areas, which keeps human activity concentrated in zones animals already avoid. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Respecting seasonal closures that protect animals during sensitive times like mating or birthing seasons gives wildlife breathing room when they need it most, while you can also choose less popular trails or visit during off-peak hours. Spreading out recreation reduces the constant pressure on animals trying to access resources near busy routes. Supporting local conservation groups is also a boost, as many organizations help design trail systems that minimize habitat disruption while maintaining outdoor access. If you do spot wildlife when exploring, make sure to keep a reasonable distance. Quick, quiet passages are less stressful for animals than prolonged encounters. Contact land management agencies to voice your support for wildlife corridors and protected zones. These refuges provide animals with spaces free from human disturbance, allowing populations to thrive. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the the daily Crossword
