We recently published a paper in Nature Communications entitled with “Direct conversion of methane to aromatics and hydrogen via a heterogeneous trimetallic synergistic catalyst“. In this work, a new catalyst was developed to improve non-oxidative methane dehydrogenase-aromatization reaction kinetics for more efficiency methane conversion to aromatics with high selectivity. We worked together with George Mason University, Idaho National Laboratory, and Kansas State University to deliver this fantastic paper. If you are interested, please download to read via this link:
On March 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of our project “Development of Readily Manufactured and Interface Engineered Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells with High Efficiency and Durability” for funding with $3.1 million, which will focus on interface engineering and optimization to improve proton-conducting solid oxide electrolyzer performance and durability. This effort builds off recent successful interfacial optimization work and incorporates additional activities focused on high-efficiency and long lifetime stacks designed for scalable manufacturing. We will work with Dr. Bilge Yildiz at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Chuancheng Duan at Kansas State University, and Chemtronergy LLC in Salt Lake City, to deliver the efficient and durable high-temperature electrolysis technology.
This announcement represents the first phase of implementation of two provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorizes $1 billion for research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen produced via electrolysis and $500 million for research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of improved processes and technologies for manufacturing and recycling clean hydrogen systems and materials. These projects will directly produce more than 1,500 new jobs, along with thousands of additional jobs indirectly generated through regional economic activity. Additionally, these projects will provide support to 32 disadvantaged communities.
Together with the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs), tax incentives in the President’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, and ongoing research, development, and demonstration in the DOE Hydrogen Program, these investments will help DOE achieve its ambitious Hydrogen Shotgoal of reducing the cost of producing clean hydrogen to $1 per kilogram. These projects will also support the long-term viability of the H2Hubs and other emerging commercial-scale deployments by helping to solve the underlying technical barriers to cost reduction that can’t be overcome by scale alone.
For more details, please refer to this link: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-clean-hydrogen-electrolysis-manufacturing-and-0
Dr. Ding attended the Hydrogen Americas Summit in Washington D.C. on October 2-3, 2023, to meet industrials and peers for discussing the future of hydrogen economy. Many exhibitors from U.S. and Europe met to demonstrate the technologies for hydrogen production, transport, and storage.
A new project is awarded titled with “Integrated Heterogeneous Structure of High-Entropy-Alloy/Reactor for High-Throughput Chemical Synthesis via In-Situ Carbon-Dioxide Hydrogenation” from Department of Energy.
Conversion of nuclear-generated energy, in the form of heat or electrons, to chemical energy carriers is an important pathway to enable the use of carbon dioxide or other compounds including nitrogen, steam, and light alkanes (e.g., methane, ethane, propane, etc.) as a feedstock.
We will work with Idaho National Laboratory (Dr. Wenjuan Bian) to synthesize, characterize, and test high-entropy alloy electro catalysts for converting CO2 to chemicals such as methanol.
Attended panel discussion on Hydrogen-powered future and challenges to get there, organized by OU CHEPS (https://www.oucheps.org). Many experts and professors from industry, universities, and NSF extensively discussed how hydrogen economy will be accomplished.
This project will develop a modular reactor for co-generation of liquid chemicals and electricity from stranded natural gas with team from Kansas State University (Dr. Chuancheng Duan) and OU. The team envisions to design, demonstrate, and test a novel process intensified modular system with techno-economic feasibility which integrates electrocatalyst with electrochemical membrane reactors for natural gas (NG) upgrading to value-added liquid chemicals (aromatics) and power generation simultaneously.
