This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A South Korean research team has developed an environmentally friendly ammonia synthesis process that reduces carbon emissions using a membrane that selectively transports hydrogen. Researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) found that a palladium membrane can transport hydrogen from water while keeping other substances separated.
They demonstrated the membrane's potential in an ammonia synthesis process. The findings are published in the journal Advanced Science. A separation membrane prevents reagents, products and solvents in an electrochemical cell from mixing while allowing ions needed for a reaction to pass through.
Polymeric membranes, such as ion-exchange membranes, have predominantly been used for this purpose. Polymeric membranes have narrow channels that allow water and ions to pass through. But unwanted molecules can pass through as well, a problem known as crossover.
Crossover can compromise the performance and stability of electrochemical devices. With conventional membranes, reducing crossover often slows ion transport, creating a trade-off between the two. The KIER team addressed this problem by replacing a conventional polymeric membrane with a dense palladium membrane.
It selectively absorbs and transports hydrogen atoms while preventing other chemical species from crossing. When an electric field is applied, hydrogen ions on one side of the palladium membrane are converted to hydrogen atoms. The atoms diffuse through the metal to the other side, where they are converted back into hydrogen ions and released into the solution.
The membrane keeps the solvents, reagents and products on either side separated. The KIER team applied the technology to electrochemical ammonia synthesis in collaboration with a team led by professor Yun Jeong Hwang at Seoul National University. The process draws hydrogen ions, a key feedstock, from water instead of fossil fuels.
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