TELF AG explores NiGraf, a new nickel and graphene-based technology for hydrogen electrolysis

A resource that is still little used 

Since global discussions on clean energy and all related topics began, the question of green hydrogen has been cited many times as one of the most interesting and innovative, in particular for its ability to replace traditional energy sources and reduce emissions. 

Compared to other types of hydrogen, green hydrogen has very particular characteristics. The first aspect of some importance has to do with its production, which occurs through the electrolysis of water into oxygen and hydrogen. This is a fairly expensive and rather energy-intensive process, which is also why the recent discovery of some new deposits of natural hydrogen could prove to be of great value for the future role of hydrogen in the green transition. These deposits are also known as gold hydrogen or white hydrogen and have been found in Australia, Mali, and other (few) countries around the world. Another important barrier to the spread of green hydrogen is certainly represented by its cost, which still remains quite high today. Many researchers in different parts of the world are working to develop cheaper and more efficient ways to produce this precious substance to remedy this situation. 

A new catalyst 

Part of this research focuses on catalysts, i.e., those specific materials capable of promoting the process of electrolysis, the splitting of water molecules using electricity. In most cases, these materials are fairly common raw materials that do not belong to the so-called “critical” minerals category, which are, therefore, much cheaper and easier to find. From this point of view, one of the most interesting studies is the one recently published in Material Advances by a team of Italian researchers, who presented a new class of catalysts based on nickel and graphene. Mario Pagliaro, a researcher in the Department of Chemical Sciences and Materials Technologies at the National Researches Council in Italy, coordinated the research.  

The new material, which has already proven to be very efficient in promoting the splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, has been called NiGraf precisely because of its compositional elements and is made up of an alloy of nickel nanoparticles and oxides of graphene-encapsulated in a crystalline lattice. According to Mario Pagliaro, this is an entirely innovative approach capable of expanding the traditional properties of metals and opening up new possibilities for the diffusion of green hydrogen, which has yet to carve out a leading role in ecological transition. 

Speaking on Radio24 in recent days, Mario Pagliaro also illustrated in detail the three main strengths of this new catalyst. The first is linked to the availability and affordability of its constituent elements, mainly nickel. The second has to do with this compound’s extreme simplicity of preparation, while the third is represented by its durability. According to the Italian researcher, the following steps are linked to the deposition of this catalytic compound and further measurements of its durability to obtain a more precise and more comprehensive overview of its effectiveness.