Hydrogen from the air, powered by sunlight: a waterless leap toward green energy
Amid growing water scarcity, Chinese scientists unveiled a solar-powered system that makes hydrogen directly from moisture in the air—without drawing any extra water or electricity. The device couples atmospheric water harvesting with proton-exchange membrane electrolysis (PEMWE) to produce clean hydrogen. In tests, it remained stable at humidity as low as 20%, and at around 40% humidity it produced nearly 300 milliliters of hydrogen per hour.
In This Article:
What it is: Atmospheric water harvesting meets PEM electrolysis
Led by Professor Yin Huazhe of the Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team built a compact installation that uses sunlight to drive the electrochemical splitting of water drawn from the air, without external water or electricity. The system combines atmospheric water harvesting with PEMWE to generate hydrogen with high purity. The results were published in Advanced Materials.
Performance under varying humidity: stable at 20% and strong at 40%
Laboratory tests showed stability even when ambient humidity was as low as 20%. At around 40% humidity, the device achieved an output of nearly 300 milliliters of hydrogen per hour. These results suggest the technology could operate in arid or resource-limited regions.
Why this could matter: shrinking the water footprint of green hydrogen
Green hydrogen typically requires large quantities of clean water, which limits its use in water-scarce regions. This new approach draws water vapor from the atmosphere and runs on solar energy, reducing the water footprint and the need for grid electricity. If scaled, it could accelerate global adoption of hydrogen energy and improve energy security.
Looking ahead: scaling up and broadening access
The researchers hope to refine the design and explore scalable implementations, with the aim of expanding access to hydrogen production worldwide while reducing dependence on water and electricity for fuel. This breakthrough points toward a future where green hydrogen can be produced wherever sunlight and air are available.
