Green hydrogen peroxide thanks to a new hydrogel
18.03.2025
Italian version
The University of Padua, in collaboration with Northwestern University, has conducted research leading to the discovery of a new hydrogel that enhances the efficiency of converting sunlight into chemical products, such as hydrogen peroxide. Known for its oxidising and disinfecting properties, hydrogen peroxide is widely used in medical, industrial, and domestic settings. Traditionally, it is produced through the reduction of oxygen, a process that, despite its efficiency, faces sustainability issues due to the need for organic solvents, hydrogen, and noble metals. As a result, alternative methods using electric energy or sunlight are being explored.
The key to efficiently converting sunlight into chemical products appears to lie in movement, as seen in nature with plants using stomata to regulate photosynthesis, or in the human body with organs such as the heart and lungs.
By harnessing movement, the international team of researchers from the Universities of Padua and Northwestern (Chicago, USA) has developed a new material that makes the solar energy conversion process more efficient. The study, titled "Mechanical and Light Activation of Materials for Chemical Production," has been published in the scientific journal "Advanced Materials".
Current scientific studies typically test materials for artificial photosynthesis—research inspired by this natural process and referring to any system that captures and stores sunlight energy in the chemical bonds of a fuel—under static conditions, neglecting the effects of movement. The Padua and Northwestern researchers decided to examine these effects.
“To determine if movement could influence artificial photosynthesis, it was essential to create a new material,” explains Luka Ðorđević, the lead author of the research and a professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Padua. “This material needed to absorb and convert sunlight and be smart enough to swell and contract in response to stimuli.”
The researchers developed a hydrogel that swells and contracts in response to stimuli, thus improving artificial photosynthesis. This hydrogel comprises two main components: a photocatalyst that enables the conversion of sunlight into chemical reactions and a thermoresponsive material that adapts to temperature changes. Studies have shown that when this new organic hydrogel is subjected to rapid cycles of contraction and expansion, it significantly increases the efficiency of hydrogen peroxide production. This mechanical movement accelerates the exchange of products and reagents, similar to how human organs function.
This innovative research, funded by the European Union through an ERC Starting Grant and led by Luka Ðorđević of the University of Padua, not only enhances the sustainability of chemical production but also has potential applications in other materials and reactions.
