The Ministry of Science and Technology has announced a breakthrough in making clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight. Researchers at an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology have developed a new approach that uses common organic molecules instead of expensive metals. This discovery could make green hydrogen production cheaper and more sustainable.
How the new method works
Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru combined a naturally occurring amino acid called aspartic acid with a light-absorbing organic molecule known as perylene diimide (PDI). When mixed in water, these molecules organised themselves automatically into highly ordered two-dimensional nanosheets through a process called supramolecular self-assembly.
The aspartic acid component created strong hydrogen bonds, while the PDI component absorbed light efficiently and enabled better electron movement. Together, these features allowed the material to perform better at splitting water using sunlight.
The self-assembled material showed measurable improvements compared to conventional forms of the same molecule. It generated nearly 18 percent higher photocurrent during water splitting. The molecular reorganisation broadened light absorption, improved charge separation, reduced energy losses, and increased the surface area available for the chemical reactions needed to produce hydrogen.
The research team included Dr. Goutam Ghosh, Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, Sourav Moyra, Kumar Shubham, and Athira Chandran M. Their findings were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
What this means for you
This development makes green hydrogen a potentially more affordable option for future energy needs. Since the method avoids expensive precious metals and uses naturally occurring amino acids, hydrogen production could become less costly and more environmentally responsible. Over time, this technology could support renewable energy systems, artificial photosynthesis processes, and solar fuel generation, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and helping tackle energy security challenges.