ÌǹûÅɶÔ

As early as 1874, Jules Verne’s novel The Mysterious Island suggested a future in which water could be harnessed as a nearly inexhaustible source of energy. At the time, such an idea was pure science fiction, yet today we stand at the brink of transforming Verne’s literary vision into a scientific reality.

Mirabbos Hojamberdiev is a scientist with a passion for exploring new materials. He aims to develop functional materials that can use sunlight alone to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, thus creating the ultimate environmentally friendly fuel: green hydrogen.

“You can call it a form of artificial photosynthesis: We use sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of photocatalytic materials, creating an energy-rich hydrogen carrier without COâ‚‚ emission."

Mirabbos Hojamberdiev has received about 22 million kroner from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to lead a research project that will trigger a decisive shift in how we produce clean hydrogen energy from solar water splitting.

The concept is called “solar-driven water splitting” – an up-hill reaction process that could one day supply us with abundant carbon-free hydrogen.

Horst-Günter Rubahn, head of Mads Clausen Institute, is excited about Mirabbos as a scientist and his research topic:

"Mirabbos’ research is a fantastic fit for our ongoing research efforts to generate electricity directly from sunlight with novel organic solar cells and our nanomaterials fabrication and characterization activities. I am happy about having him as part of the NanoSYD team."
 

Technology on the way from the lab bench to reality
Despite the report of the Honda-Fujishima effect in the early 70’s – hundred years after Verne’s vision - , commercial exploitation of such a system is still pending. 

The timeline, however, shows remarkable progress: from primitive lab experiments to pilot testing in the present days. Stability and efficiency have been significantly improved over the years, but both can still decline over time or the system fails to convert sunlight at all.

Hojamberdiev’s research will help to develop novel materials and control their crystal structures in order to achieve a more stable and efficient conversion of solar energy into hydrogen. This is a crucial step toward translating laboratory advances into industrial practice.

“We need photocatalytic materials that can last longer without losing efficiency,” he points out. 

Green hydrogen – more than a buzzword
About 95% of the world’s hydrogen is currently produced from fossil fuels—the so-called ‘grey hydrogen.’ Its production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and undermines hydrogen’s status as a green solution. To make hydrogen truly sustainable, it must be produced from renewable energy sources, and this is where solar-driven water splitting comes into play.

“If the hydrogen powering Europe’s transportation and vehicles comes from coal or natural gas, it’s not clean,” Hojamberdiev explains. “We need ‘green hydrogen,’ and solar-driven water splitting is a promising and environmentally benign process. Over time, it can enable countries with abundant sunlight—such as those in Africa or Asia—to completely bypass fossil fuels and contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

Part of Denmark’s green transition
In Denmark, this technology could become a vital element in Power-to-X strategies. That hydrogen can then be used for transportation, industry, or renewable energy storage. In this way, integrating fluctuating green energy sources into the energy supply becomes easier.

Setting up research laboratories for conducting this fascinating research is already on the way, and talented young researchers from different parts of the world will join Hojamberdiev’s research team at ÌǹûÅɶԒs Sønderborg campus in the beginning of 2025. They will gain deeper insights into the structure-performance relationships from a basic science perspective.

“The challenge we face is finding the right photocatalytic materials," Hojamberdiev explains.

"Traditional photocatalytic materials only absorb ultraviolet light or a small portion of visible light. We want to create new photocatalytic materials that can capture photons from a broader spectrum of visible light. The more photons from the visible-light region the material absorbs, the higher the efficiency can be achieved, which is one of the key parameters to commercial application."

What does this mean for you and me?
Ultimately, this fundamental research will help to ensure a better climate, more sustainable energy supplies, and a greater energy independence. With affordable and green hydrogen, nations’ energy systems can become more flexible, potentially leading to lower energy prices and a move away from fossil fuels. It’s a prospect that benefits both the planet and future generations.

“We have abundant sunlight and plentiful water, and now we need to develop next-generation materials for best-performing solar water splitting,” says Hojamberdiev confidently.

“Here at ÌǹûÅɶÔ, I am able to combine my educational background and rich international research experience in advanced materials research with the expertise at ÌǹûÅÉ¶Ô and the Mads Clausen Institute, thereby integrating Danish competencies and excellence into the international effort to crack the code from sun to hydrogen.”

Horst-Günter Rubahn concludes: “When all the pieces fall into place, and all our research directions are taken into account, we’ll have a real, sustainable solution that can change how we use and store energy.”

Fact Box:

Mirabbos Hojamberdiev has been an internationally mobile researcher, who conducted research in various research laboratories around the world and received various international recognitions, including the RECRUIT Grant funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Atta-ur-Rahman Prize from the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Georg Forster Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the 2018 IUPAC CHEMRAWN VII Prize for Green Chemistry and 2023 IUPAC-Zhejiang NHU International Award for Advancements in Green Chemistry from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Fulbright Visiting Scholarship, postdoctoral fellowships from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, European Commission’s Marie-Curie Fellowship, etc.

What is solar-driven water splitting?
In nature, plants use sunlight, water, and COâ‚‚ to produce energy-rich substances through photosynthesis. Artificial photosynthesis—or solar-driven water splitting—borrows from the same principle but simplifies the chemistry: Sunlight strikes a unique photocatalytic material in water, producing hydrogen and oxygen gases.