Hydrogen Energy – Research and Development of New Materials: Electrolytic Hydrogen Production, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Isotope Effects

The objective of the proposed project is research and development of new materials and construction designs for Hydrogen Energy technologies. The Energy-Hydrogen-Energy cycle is a well known sustainable energy concept with no pollution. For the massive use of the hydrogen energy technologies, their efficiency has to be increased and price lowered. ?he focus of the Energy oriented scientific community is the research and development of new materials within this concept. Due to this fact, ?he main issue of the proposed project will be research on the fundamental process and development of new materials for the components of the energy-hydrogen-energy cycle: novel electro-catalysts and activators for the alkaline water electrolysis and non-platinum catalysts and new polymeric membranes for the hydrogen fuel cells, as well as construction designs of electrolysers and fuel cells. Deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) isotope effects will be investigated in both electrolysers and fuel cells, along with the possibility of producing heavy water as a by-product in the hydrogen energy cycle, which represents a unique research activity of this team. Also, an important aim of the proposed project is the development of a hydrogen energy demonstration kit for testing and diagnostics, which can also serve as educational material for teaching purposes in schools and faculties. In this way a dissemination of knowledge in the field of hydrogen energy could be obtained.