In this episode, Dr. Oliver shares his team's groundbreaking work on the use of a gallium-aluminum (Ga-Al) composite to enhance the formation of aluminum nanoparticles and facilitate water splitting to generate hydrogen at ambient conditions. He discusses how this Ga-Al composite can be synthesized using commercial aluminum, including post-consumer aluminum foil, eliminating the need for an inert atmosphere or mechanical aid. The conversation covers the scientific specifics, including the role of gallium in dissolving the aluminum oxide coating of the aluminum nanoparticles, enabling continuous water splitting and on-demand hydrogen generation through the Grotthuss mechanism. Dr. Oliver shares how the water-splitting reaction functions at ambient conditions and neutral pH and can use any source of water without generating chlorine gas. Importantly, he also highlights the reusability of gallium and how the Ga-Al alloy can be pre-prepared and stored for future use. As a practical demonstration of the potential applications of this technology, he discusses a hydrogenation reaction.

Keywords: Water Splitting, Hydrogen Generation, Gallium-Aluminum Composite, Nanoparticles, Grotthuss Mechanism, Environmental Chemistry, Sustainability, Hydrogenation.

Aluminum Nanoparticles from a Ga–Al Composite for Water Splitting and Hydrogen Generation https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.1c04331