BMBF Research Project Light2Hydrogen

Light2Hydrogen (L2H) „Energy for the Future - Photocatalytic Splitting of Water to Hydrogen" is an interdisciplinary research project, financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) within the framework program „Spitzenforschung & Innovation in den neuen Laendern" with a funding of 10 Mio. Euro during the period 1.11.2009 – 31.10.2014.

The interdisciplinary L2H network consists of 16 research groups from seven partner institutions within the regions Berlin-Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The goal is the direct photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from water by sunlight, as well as its first technical application. A close association with innovative SMBs, with the Hydrogen Initiative Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the involvement of a industrial advisory board assist the commercial implementation.

The expertise of the research cluster aims at the first-time development of technically usable catalysts for the direct photocatalytic water splitting to hydrogen and oxygen. In a continuous interaction between experiment and theory, the mechanistic understanding of the process is to be enlarged, thus enabling a knowledge-based catalyst design using new hybrid materials. The basis for a photocatalytic hydrogen technology will be developed: Hydrogen is being generated from water by means of sunlight – from renewable energy sources without releasing greenhouse gases! It will be utilized for producing electrical energy via fuel cells as well as for hydrogen consuming refinement processes.

For an overview of the publications evolved from the L2H research field at the TUB please click here.