Fudan researchers make breakthrough in green hydrogen production

A research team from Fudan University in Shanghai has achieved a breakthrough in green hydrogen production that could dramatically reduce costs and accelerate the adoption of this clean energy source.

Their findings, published in the latest issue of journal Science on Feb 14, detail the development of a novel embedded catalyst that significantly enhances the stability and performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer (PEMWE) technology, a cornerstone for generating green hydrogen.

Green hydrogen, produced with renewable energies like wind and solar power, is believed to be a prospective clean energy source for decarbonization efforts in various industries such as agriculture, chemical engineering and transportation. However, its high production costs have hindered widespread application.

The Fudan team's novel catalyst uses far less expensive metals like iridium and platinum, which currently dominate green hydrogen production. Iridium, priced at approximately 1,295 yuan (about 178.34 U.S. dollars) per gram, is a key component in existing catalysts. The new catalyst significantly reduces iridium usage, cutting costs while maintaining efficiency.

The inspiration for this innovation came from an unexpected source: a traditional Chinese snack called "maqiu" (sesame balls). The researchers likened the catalyst to a maqiu, where a low-cost core is coated with the active metal, just like the sesame seeds on the outside of a maqiu. Using cryogenic electron tomography, the team magnified the catalyst structure 10 million times, revealing a design that maximizes surface area while minimizing precious metal usage.

"Traditional catalysts are like a ball, with only its surface truly having an effect. This dawned on us how the maqiu is made. What if we turn the sesame seeds on the surface into iridium oxide, and change what's inside into a low-cost material? Sesame seeds are easy to drop off, but once they are planted or embedded on the surface of maqiu, they would not detach. So we could reduce the usage of iridium oxide. For the same catalyst, the conventional technology would use 20 grams of iridium oxide for every square meter of the equipment, but using our new technology, every square meter needs just 3 grams," explained Professor Zhang Bo of Fudan University's Department of Macromolecular Science. The new catalyst also reduces energy consumption during water electrolysis, the most mature method for green hydrogen production. For every cubic meter of hydrogen produced, the technology saves 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity.

"Calculated according to the global demand of 100 million tons of green hydrogen throughout 2050, this technology could save 1.12 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year," Zhang said.

The development of the novel catalyst brings down both the production costs and energy consumption. With the technology now entering industrial testing, it is promising to enable large-scale, cost-effective green hydrogen production.

Fudan researchers make breakthrough in green hydrogen production

Chinese scientists have made improvements for the porthole of the Shenzhou-23 spaceship at the launch site to avoid potential emergency situations caused by space debris.

The Shenzhou-20 spaceship's return capsule viewport window suffered a suspected impact from space debris during its mission last year. The three Shenzhou-20 astronauts returned safely aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship on Nov. 14, 2025, and later on Nov. 25, China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship to provide a return vessel for the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts, who are currently in orbit.

To avoid such a potential emergency during the Shenzhou-23 mission, the porthole improvements were implemented ahead of schedule.

According to the original plan, the porthole upgrade was scheduled for implementation on the Shenzhou-24 spacecraft. However, after the Shenzhou-20 experienced an in-orbit space debris impact that affected the astronauts’ return, the team conducted a comprehensive assessment and decided to advance the upgrade to Shenzhou-23 to ensure a smooth and safe mission.

"The previous version of the viewport window had one layer of anti-ablation glass, while we increased that to two layers for the new window for dual redundancy. In addition, we have taken an extra protective measure as a final safeguard inside the capsule. These make up a three-layer anti-ablation function, adding an extra insurance for the astronauts to work and live safely and securely in orbit, and to return safely," said He Yu, chief commander of Shenzhou spacecraft of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Under normal circumstances, the viewport windows are installed at the spacecraft assembly workshop in Beijing before the capsule is assembled with other ones. But, since the Shenzhou-23 had already been manufactured and placed on emergency standby at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the porthole upgrade was conducted after all three modules had already been assembled -- a process much more difficult due to the confined space inside the capsule.

"Our guiding principle is putting people first. Moreover, we must further demonstrate the strength of China as a major country with strong aerospace capabilities. We will never allow space debris to affect the smooth progress of our mission," said the chief commander.

Shenzhou-23 spaceship undergoes porthole improvements at launch site