Imagine a synthetic leaf that can split water into hydrogen gas using only sunlight. Instead of expensive rare metals, it uses common materials layered in thin films to capture energy. This creates a self-sufficient way to produce clean fuel without needing an external power grid.
Current green hydrogen production is often too expensive and inefficient to compete with fossil fuels. The lack of durable, low-cost materials and scalable manufacturing processes limits the role of hydrogen in decarbonization.
A photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell system using TCO and TMD materials. It includes a buried multijunction integrated tandem cell designed for unassisted water splitting.
If you are a plant operator dealing with high electricity costs for electrolysis — this project developed a photoelectrochemical cell that uses sunlight directly to split water. This removes the need for external power inputs to generate green hydrogen.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with inefficient material deposition — this project developed processes using ALD and CVD tools. These methods allow for the scalable production of large-area semiconducting layers for energy cells.
If you are a gas supplier dealing with the high carbon footprint of hydrogen production — this project developed a system using earth-abundant materials. This ensures a sustainable and eco-friendly supply chain for hydrogen gas.
The project aims to improve the efficiency-to-cost ratio by using earth-abundant materials and manufacturing-compatible tools like ALD and CVD to make green hydrogen commercially attractive.
Yes, the project focuses on moving from small area proof-of-concept to large area proof-of-concept using equipment already common in commercial chip and solar cell processing.
Based on available project data, the project develops new component TCO and TMD materials and integrated tandem PEC cells, which represent the core technical assets for potential licensing.
A primary objective is to achieve long service life through cell and system stability, durability, and reliability to compete with cheaper fossil fuel sources.
The project aims to overcome the 'cell-to-system' bottleneck to create a viable, self-driven system suitable for up-scaling.
The consortium consists of 7 partners across 4 countries, showing a balanced mix of academic and industrial expertise. With 2 universities, 2 research organizations, 2 other entities, and 1 industry partner (14% industry ratio), the project is heavily weighted toward research but includes SMEs to facilitate the transition toward commercial application.
Contact University College Cork, National University of Ireland
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for these thin-film PEC materials.
