Scientists produce hydrogen from water
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Purdue University researchers announced Wednesday they've developed a technique that produces hydrogen from water and organic material.
Associate Professor of Chemistry Mahdi Abu-Omar, lead researcher, said the discovery might help speed the creation of viable hydrogen storage technology.
Although the method has not yet been evaluated for economic feasibility on a large scale, Abu-Omar said it might offer solutions to several problems facing fuel cell developers. He said the technique requires only water, a catalyst based on the metal rhenium and an organic liquid called an organosilane, which can be easily stored and transported.
"We have discovered a catalyst that can produce ready quantities of hydrogen without the need for extreme cold temperatures or high pressures, which are often required in other production and storage methods," said Abu-Omar. "It is possible this technique could lead to fuel cells that are safe, efficient and not dependent on fossil fuels as their energy source."
The research team, which includes Purdue's Elon Ison and Rex Corbin, published their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
sciencedaily.com
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J. Am. Chem. Soc., ASAP Article 10.1021/ja053860u S0002-7863(05)03860-6
Web Release Date: August 5, 2005
Copyright © 2005 American Chemical Society
Hydrogen Production from Hydrolytic Oxidation of Organosilanes Using a Cationic Oxorhenium Catalyst
Elon A. Ison, Rex A. Corbin, and Mahdi M. Abu-Omar*
Brown Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
mabuomar@purdue.edu
Received June 12, 2005
Abstract:
We describe herein the novel application of a transition metal oxo complex, a cationic oxorhenium(V) oxazoline, in the production of molecular hydrogen (H2) from the catalytic hydrolytic oxidation of organosilanes. The main highlights of the reaction are quantitative hydrogen yields, low catalyst loading, ambient conditions, high selectivity for silanols, water as the only co-reagent, and no solvent requirement. The amount of hydrogen produced is proportional to the water stoichiometry. Thus, reaction mixtures of polysilyl organics such as HC(SiH3)3 and water contain potentially >6 wt % hydrogen. Kinetic and isotope labeling experiments have revealed a new mechanistic paradigm for the activation of Si-H bonds by oxometalates.
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