global policy

South Korea’s Hanyang University researchers developed a boron-doped cobalt phosphide catalyst that halves hydrogen fuel cost, remains stable for over 100 hours, and outperforms platinum and iridium electrodes. Sweden’s Linköping University created a triple-layer photoelectrode (cubic silicon carbide, cobalt oxide, nickel hydroxide) that produced eight times more hydrogen than silicon carbide alone and aims for 10% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency within 5–10 years. A Chinese team from Tianjin University demonstrated PEM electrolyzers that can use ordinary impure water with a Brønsted-acid MoO3-x additive to create an acidic microenvironment, maintaining performance over 3,000 hours. Australia’s CSIRO unveiled a beam-down solar thermal reactor that