Scientists overcome a hurdle on the path to renewable-energy storage

Illustration of switchable wettability © S. Yoon, TH Shen, V. Tileli - Scientists have observed how catalysts behave at the particle level during water electrolysis. Catalysts play a crucial role in this reaction, in which water splits into hydrogen and oxygen. By shedding light on the underlying mechanism of the functional role of catalysts during the reaction, the scientists have made an important discovery for the design of renewable-energy storage systems. If renewable energies are one day to replace fossil fuels, engineers need to find a way to store it reliably and on a large scale. One method that numerous researchers are currently studying involves storing the energy in gaseous form inside electrolytic cells. Electrolytic cells work by using electricity to trigger an electrolysis reaction that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity can then be recovered by reversing the reaction and recombining the hydrogen and oxygen into water.