Solar process converts biomass sugars to low cost green hydrogen

Researchers in China and Singapore have developed a new way to use solar energy and biomass to make cheaper green hydrogen.

The method turns sugars from biomass (such as agricultural waste cellulose) into hydrogen and another useful chemical, formate, at the same time.

This could be cheaper and may use less energy than standard solar electrolysis that only splits water, because the sugar oxidation replaces the energy-intensive oxygen evolution reaction typically required at the anode.