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CeNS Scientists Develop Scalable Solar-Powered Device for Green Hydrogen Generation

Researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, have developed a breakthrough solar-powered device that generates green hydrogen using earth-abundant materials, avoiding fossil fuels and rare resources. The innovation, led by Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, features a silicon-based photoanode with an n-i-p heterojunction design—comprising TiO? (n-type), undoped silicon (intrinsic), and NiO (p-type)—which significantly enhances light absorption and charge transport efficiency.

The device, fabricated using magnetron sputtering—a scalable industrial technique—achieved a high surface photovoltage of 600 mV and a low onset potential of 0.11 VRHE. It demonstrated remarkable durability, operating for over 10 hours in alkaline conditions with only a 4% performance loss. The technology has also proven effective at a larger scale, with a 25 cm² photoanode delivering strong results in solar water splitting.

This advancement marks a significant step toward affordable, large-scale solar-to-hydrogen systems. The research, published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, opens up possibilities for hydrogen-based energy solutions across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors—powering a sustainable future fueled by sunlight.