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Research

Hydrogen is a sustainable and energy-rich alternative to fossil fuels. Electrochemical purification can be coupled with hydrogen production in many ways.

In order to ensure a wide distribution of hydrogen, the addition of hydrogen to the natural gas grid is one of the current distribution strategies. Hydrogen is separated from natural gas by means of electrochemical hydrogen pumps. The hydrogen is first oxidised and then reduced after separation. A major challenge here is posed by impurities in the natural gas, which act as catalyst poisons. By using spectroscopic methods, surface reactions at the anode can be investigated and anode materials subsequently optimised.

Another field of application for electrochemical purification is the purification of biomass or industrial waste streams with coupled hydrogen production. Here, an important basic chemical can be obtained by conversion to formic acid, which can also be used as an energy carrier.