IIT Bombay researchers engineer an economic and efficient catalyst to split water molecules
Dennis C J Mumbai 20 Aug 2026 Recently, India inaugurated the world’s first nuclear-powered hydrogen production plant at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Unlike others, which rely on electricity, the new plant uses nuclear-generated heat to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen offers a clean-burning fuel that could replace fossil fuels. It boasts a high energy density,…
Researchers at India's Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have engineered an affordable and efficient catalyst that can split water molecules to produce hydrogen gas. This breakthrough could help create a more cost-effective method of generating green hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel that emits only water vapor when burned.
The team created a novel material combining cobalt, nickel, phosphate, and graphite. Unlike existing catalysts that rely on expensive precious metals like platinum, this new catalyst uses earth-abundant metals that are less costly and more sustainable.
In electrolysis, an electric current is passed through water to separate it into hydrogen and oxygen. Catalysts accelerate this process, but must be durable and inexpensive. The IIT Bombay researchers achieved this by using molecular precursor engineering to design highly specific metal complexes and graphite layers. This technique allowed precise control over the catalyst's composition and structure.
The resulting material has a random, amorphous structure with a large surface area. This enhanced surface area creates ideal docking sites for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that produces hydrogen gas and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) that generates oxygen gas. During testing, the catalyst operated continuously for 72 hours with minimal performance decline.
The researchers noted that the catalyst's surface underwent a structural transformation during the OER, shedding some phosphate to form new oxygen-rich metal compounds. However, this surface reconstruction actually helped maintain the catalyst's high activity, showcasing the potential benefits of phosphate-based catalysts.
This development brings the world closer to an affordable, sustainable hydrogen economy that could power homes, vehicles, and industries while reducing carbon emissions. The research demonstrates how molecular precursor engineering can be used to create advanced electrocatalysts, opening new avenues for designing highly efficient materials.
Written by urgent.news from Research Matters India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
