Non-metal catalyst splits hydrogen molecule
Saturday, October 22, 2016 - 09:31
in Physics & Chemistry
Hydrogen (H2) is an extremely simple molecule and yet a valuable raw material which as a result of the development of sophisticated catalysts is becoming more and more important. In industry and commerce, applications range from food and fertilizer manufacture to crude oil cracking to utilization as an energy source in fuel cells. A challenge lies in splitting the strong H-H bond under mild conditions. Chemists have now developed a new catalyst for the activation of hydrogen by introducing boron atoms into a common organic molecule.