The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot (aka, the Hydrogen Shot) targets deployment of diverse technologies for affordable, clean hydrogen production by 2031. These include near-term options based on conversion of fossil resources with CCS and water electrolysis powered by clean electricity; as well next-generation advanced pathways such as photoelectrochemical and thermochemical processes for direct solar water splitting that don’t require electricity, and biological processes that can convert biomass or waste streams into hydrogen with value-add co-products, such as purified water.
Cutting-edge fundamental research focused on the advanced pathways in areas, such as energy transfer, catalysis, separations, and degradation mechanisms, is pushing the boundaries of foundational knowledge transferable to the advancement of diverse technologies for hydrogen production, storage, and delivery. This collection provides examples of this original research from leading researchers in their respective fields.
The innovative R&D in this collection addresses key scientific and engineering challenges identified by experts in the advanced pathways for affordable, clean hydrogen production, and explores pathways to meeting Hydrogen Shot Goals. Pathway-specific examples include:
Solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is a low-temperature process based on semiconductor photoelectrodes and/or photocatalysts that offer theoretical potentials for solar-to-hydrogen efficiency as high as 30% under optimized circumstances. Key challenges being addressed include reactor durability and system at-scale engineering and demonstrations, congruent with reductions in materials costs.
Thermochemical hydrogen (TCH) production using high-temperature processes to split water has the potential to achieve high theoretical chemical conversion efficiencies. Key challenges being addressed include the discovery and development of novel durable, low-cost, scalable, and high-efficiency materials, optimized system designs including auxiliary systems, and demonstrations at the pilot scale.
Biological conversion processes take advantage of the ability of micro-organisms to degrade, consume, and oxidize biomass and waste-streams as part of their growth cycle while releasing hydrogen. Key challenges being addressed are associated with feedstock, conversion, process integration, scalability, and sustainability with respect to fermentation, microbial electrolysis cells, and the integrated process.
We will accept the following article types: Original Research, Reviews, and Perspectives. R&D addressing scientific and engineering challenges described above is sought in the advanced pathways for clean hydrogen production, including:
• Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Hydrogen Production
• Thermochemical Hydrogen (TCH) Production
• Biological Hydrogen Production
• Novel Hybrid Approaches Leveraging Multiple Processes (e.g., PEC, TCH, Biological, etc.)
Keywords:
Hydrogen Production, Photoelectrochemical, Thermochemical, Biological, Hybrid Approaches
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot (aka, the Hydrogen Shot) targets deployment of diverse technologies for affordable, clean hydrogen production by 2031. These include near-term options based on conversion of fossil resources with CCS and water electrolysis powered by clean electricity; as well next-generation advanced pathways such as photoelectrochemical and thermochemical processes for direct solar water splitting that don’t require electricity, and biological processes that can convert biomass or waste streams into hydrogen with value-add co-products, such as purified water.
Cutting-edge fundamental research focused on the advanced pathways in areas, such as energy transfer, catalysis, separations, and degradation mechanisms, is pushing the boundaries of foundational knowledge transferable to the advancement of diverse technologies for hydrogen production, storage, and delivery. This collection provides examples of this original research from leading researchers in their respective fields.
The innovative R&D in this collection addresses key scientific and engineering challenges identified by experts in the advanced pathways for affordable, clean hydrogen production, and explores pathways to meeting Hydrogen Shot Goals. Pathway-specific examples include:
Solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is a low-temperature process based on semiconductor photoelectrodes and/or photocatalysts that offer theoretical potentials for solar-to-hydrogen efficiency as high as 30% under optimized circumstances. Key challenges being addressed include reactor durability and system at-scale engineering and demonstrations, congruent with reductions in materials costs.
Thermochemical hydrogen (TCH) production using high-temperature processes to split water has the potential to achieve high theoretical chemical conversion efficiencies. Key challenges being addressed include the discovery and development of novel durable, low-cost, scalable, and high-efficiency materials, optimized system designs including auxiliary systems, and demonstrations at the pilot scale.
Biological conversion processes take advantage of the ability of micro-organisms to degrade, consume, and oxidize biomass and waste-streams as part of their growth cycle while releasing hydrogen. Key challenges being addressed are associated with feedstock, conversion, process integration, scalability, and sustainability with respect to fermentation, microbial electrolysis cells, and the integrated process.
We will accept the following article types: Original Research, Reviews, and Perspectives. R&D addressing scientific and engineering challenges described above is sought in the advanced pathways for clean hydrogen production, including:
• Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Hydrogen Production
• Thermochemical Hydrogen (TCH) Production
• Biological Hydrogen Production
• Novel Hybrid Approaches Leveraging Multiple Processes (e.g., PEC, TCH, Biological, etc.)
Keywords:
Hydrogen Production, Photoelectrochemical, Thermochemical, Biological, Hybrid Approaches
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.