QIBEBT: novel electro catalyst offers hydrogen production from seawater

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2024.101169

https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202411/t20241111_694029.shtml

Seawater electrolysis has long been seen as a promising pathway for sustainable hydrogen production but has faced significant limitations due to chloride ion (Cl⁻) corrosion, which can degrade a catalyst’s performance.

Scientists from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with their collaborators, have developed an efficient electrocatalyst called Co-N/S-HCS that demonstrates remarkable activity and stability in seawater electrolysis. This offers a sustainable hydrogen production solution with minimal reliance on freshwater resources.

The Co-N/S-HCS electrocatalyst utilizes an asymmetric CoN₃S₁ structure, in which each cobalt (Co) atom is coordinated with three nitrogen (N) atoms and one sulfur (S) atom. This asymmetric CoN₃S₁ configuration, optimized through density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations, modifies the electronic distribution around the Co center compared with the symmetric CoN4 configuration, thereby weakening corrosive Cl⁻ adsorption and enhancing the catalyst’s performance in seawater-based electrolytes.

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http://www.vlandbiochem.com/article-5545-10977.html

On March 14, 2024, Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd. was put into operation in Qingdao, China. The joint venture of Evonik China Co., Ltd. and Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd. aims to develop and expand gut health solutions products including probiotics for farm animals in China. Evonik holds the majority with a share of 55 %.

Head of Evonik’s life science division Nutrition & Care, the Animal Nutrition business line is Johann-Caspar Gammelin.

The joint venture is headquartered in Vland Biotech Innovation Park in Qingdao, China, and Vland’s production facilities in Binzhou, Shandong Province, China., will be utilized.

“Benefiting from the strong innovation capabilities, applied technology expertise and excellent reputation of the two parent companies, we will deliver innovative products and solutions to the market, and create more value for our customers,” says Dr. Wang Xu, general manager of Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd.

http://english.qibebt.cas.cn/ne/ns/202310/t20231027_397294.html

On Oct. 27, 2024, Prof. Juergen Popp Speaks, director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology and chair for Physical Chemistry at Friedrich-Schiller University, gave a talk at QIBEBT Distinguished Expert Forum and Visits Single-Cell Center on “Translational Biophotonics – Raman spectroscopy and AI a game changer !?” Popp elucidated the innovative technologies and potential applications of Raman spectroscopy in biophotonics, particularly its extensive use in clinical diagnostics. He emphasized the potential of multimodal methods combining Raman spectroscopy with other spectroscopic/optical technologies and how Raman can address today’s medical challenges, such as early cancer diagnosis and personalized treatments.

The visit was part of the Sino-German Scientific Partnership Program funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

http://qibebt.cas.cn/news/zyxw/202409/t20240922_7378447.html

From September 19th to 22nd, the 17th International Clostridium Conference was held in Qingdao, hosted by the International Clostridium Conference Organizing Committee, supported by the Bioenergy Research Laboratory of Qingdao Institute of Energy, the Key Laboratory of Solar Photovoltaic Conversion and Utilization, Shandong Energy Research Institute, and Qingdao New Energy Shandong Provincial Laboratory, and co-organized by the One Carbon Biotechnology Research Center and Green Carbon Editorial Department.

Since 1990, the International Clostridium Conference has been held every two years, and this Clostridium Conference is the second time to be held in China. On the afternoon of the 19th, the executive chairman of the conference, Researcher Li Fuli, director of the One Carbon Biotechnology Research Center, announced the opening of the conference. Director Lv Xuefeng delivered a speech on behalf of the Qingdao Institute of Energy and introduced the construction and development of the institute to the delegates.

This conference invited about 150 scholars and guests from domestic and foreign academic and business circles to attend the conference, including more than 50 foreign experts from Germany, the United States, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Italy and other countries. The conference was divided into four parts according to the topic direction: physiology and systems biology, genetics and synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and raw material utilization, industry and new applications. More than 40 oral speakers shared the latest research results with the participants, discussed future research directions, and exchanged problems and challenges encountered in Clostridium research and industrialization engineering.

As a valuable platform for scientific exchange and cooperation, this conference will further promote the development of Clostridium research. At the same time, the successful holding of this conference is of great significance to enhancing the influence of the institute in the field of Clostridium research. (Text/Photo by Ma Xiaoqing)

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