Nanfeng Zheng and colleagues recognised that to produce H2, it is necessary to have a source that contains both hydrogen and oxygen. Although water is the typical source, other substances could also fit the bill. By selecting the right initial ingredient and catalyst, they reasoned that they could make many organic-based molecules for use in consumer products.
To be as “green” as possible, the researchers designed a catalyst that contained an earth-abundant element (cobalt) and oxygen. When they ran the water-splitting reaction with ethanol and their cobalt oxide catalyst, they produced H2 gas and ethyl acetate, a chemical used to make nail polish, clean circuit boards and decaffeinate coffee and tea.
Furthermore, ethyl acetate was the only product of the reaction aside from H2. Thus, manufacturers would be able to obtain pure ethyl acetate without energy-consuming purification processes.
The authors say this advance could pave the way for completely green systems that generate H2, as well as a wide range of organic chemicals at room temperature from renewable electrical sources.
