Sumaya Sarmin

In recent years, H2 production through biomass water electrolysis has gained attention for simultaneously producing fuel and value-added chemicals. Existing electrochemical water splitting, via the hydrogen and the oxygen evolution reaction, occurs in the cathode and anode, respectively, to produce hydrogen. Water is the most plentiful and renewable resource but using it as an H2 resource requires a lot of energy, is problematic for use in agriculture and drinking, and can be expensive when the water oxidation reaction is sluggish. My project aims to understand how electrolysis can be carried out directly, utilizing solar energy, the waste biomass stream from the soft drink industry as the electrolyser’s feedstock to produce H2, value-added chemicals and wastewater management.