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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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This Kitchen Material Was Never Meant for Energy—Until It Boosted Hydrogen by 40%

Hydrogen is often called the fuel of the future. When used, it produces only water, no carbon dioxide, no smoke, and no toxic gases. This makes hydrogen one of the cleanest energy carriers known to science. However, producing hydrogen in a clean and efficient way has always been a challenge.

Most green hydrogen today is produced using water electrolyzers, devices that split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, ideally from renewable sources like solar or wind. While the basic idea is simple, the actual process is far from perfect. Energy losses, material limitations, and inefficiencies reduce output and increase costs.

Now, a surprising solution has emerged—not from exotic nanomaterials or expensive new machinery, but from something found in everyday kitchens. A simple Teflon coating, the same non-stick material used in cookware, has been shown to boost hydrogen production efficiency by around 40%.

This breakthrough, led by researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, demonstrates how a small design change can deliver massive performance improvements. Published in the prestigious journal Advanced Science and selected as a cover article, the study could significantly influence the future of green hydrogen technology.

Understanding Water Electrolysis in Simple Terms

To appreciate why this discovery matters, it helps to understand how water electrolysis works.

A water electrolyzer uses electricity to split water (H₂O) into two gases:

  • Hydrogen (H₂) at the cathode

  • Oxygen (O₂) at the anode

Inside the electrolyzer are electrodes coated with catalysts that speed up these chemical reactions. Water flows in, electricity is applied, and hydrogen gas bubbles form on the catalyst surface.

In theory, this should be straightforward. In practice, however, the process faces a major problem: gas bubbles.

The Hidden Problem: When Hydrogen Bubbles Get in the Way

As hydrogen forms, it appears as tiny bubbles on the catalyst surface. These bubbles should detach quickly and move away. But often, they don’t.

Instead, hydrogen bubbles:

  • Stick to the catalyst surface

  • Block active reaction sites

  • Reduce contact between water and catalyst

  • Increase electrical resistance

When this happens, the electrolyzer becomes less efficient. More energy is required to produce the same amount of hydrogen, driving up costs and reducing output.

This issue, known as gas bubble accumulation, has long been recognized as a bottleneck in electrochemical systems. Engineers have tried many solutions, including new catalyst designs and complex surface structures, but these approaches are often expensive and difficult to scale.

The UNIST team took a different approach—one that is remarkably simple.

The Porous Transport Layer: A Crucial but Overlooked Component

At the heart of this innovation lies a component called the Porous Transport Layer (PTL).

The PTL plays multiple roles inside a water electrolyzer:

  • Delivers water to the catalyst

  • Allows hydrogen gas to escape

  • Provides mechanical support

  • Conducts electricity

Because it is porous, the PTL allows fluids and gases to move through it. But its structure can also trap hydrogen bubbles, especially when the internal surfaces attract water.

Traditionally, researchers believed that making the PTL more hydrophilic (water-attracting) would improve performance by ensuring good water supply. The UNIST researchers challenged this assumption.

Enter Teflon: A Non-Stick Solution

The research team, led by Professors Jungki Ryu and Dong Woog Lee, applied a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating—commonly known as Teflon—onto the PTL.

Teflon is famous for its properties:

  • Extremely hydrophobic (repels water)

  • Non-stick

  • Chemically stable

  • Widely available and inexpensive

Using a simple spray-coating process, the researchers applied PTFE to the PTL and then heat-treated it to ensure durability.

The result? Hydrogen bubbles no longer stuck to the surface. Instead, they detached quickly and escaped through the porous structure.

A Smart Design Choice: Coating Only Half the PTL

One of the most impressive aspects of this research is its thoughtful design.

Rather than coating the entire PTL, the team coated only the top half.

Why does this matter?

  • The bottom part of the PTL is responsible for delivering water to the catalyst. Coating it with hydrophobic material could block water flow.

  • The top part is where hydrogen bubbles exit. Making this region hydrophobic helps bubbles escape easily.

This anisotropic wettability—having different wetting properties in different regions—allowed the system to:

  • Maintain excellent water supply

  • Dramatically improve hydrogen removal

It is a perfect balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior, achieved with a very simple modification.

The Results: A 40% Boost in Performance

The performance improvements were striking.

Compared to conventional electrolyzers:

  • Current density increased by ~40%, indicating higher hydrogen production

  • Voltage losses caused by bubble buildup were significantly reduced

  • Gas transport became smoother and more stable

In practical terms, this means:

  • More hydrogen produced using the same amount of electricity

  • Lower operating energy costs

  • Improved durability and stability

These are exactly the improvements needed to make green hydrogen more competitive with fossil fuels.

Simple, Scalable, and Industry-Ready

Many laboratory breakthroughs fail when it comes to real-world application. This one stands out because of its practicality.

The coating process:

  • Uses spray application, not complex fabrication

  • Requires no redesign of existing electrolyzer systems

  • Works on large-area PTLs (up to 225 cm²)

  • Uses a cheap, widely available material

This means manufacturers could adopt the technology with minimal investment and without changing their existing production lines.

According to Professor Ryu:

“While it is generally believed that increasing the hydrophilicity of the PTL improves efficiency, our findings show that a hydrophobic PTFE coating can actually enhance hydrogen removal and overall performance.”

Challenging Old Assumptions in Electrochemical Design

One of the most important contributions of this work is conceptual.

For years, the dominant belief was:

  • More hydrophilic surfaces = better electrolysis

This study shows that:

  • Gas management is just as important as water delivery

  • Hydrophobic regions can play a positive role

  • Smart surface engineering can outperform material complexity

This insight could reshape how scientists design not only electrolyzers, but many other electrochemical systems.

Beyond Hydrogen: Wider Applications

The benefits of this approach extend far beyond water electrolysis.

Any system that involves gas formation at electrodes could gain from similar coatings, including:

  • Fuel cells

  • Metal-air batteries

  • Carbon dioxide electrolysis systems

  • Industrial electrochemical reactors

Professor Lee highlighted this broader potential:

“Teflon is a well-known and widely available material, making this approach easy to adopt. Beyond water electrolysis, this method could also benefit other electrochemical systems that involve gas evolution.”

Why This Matters for the Clean Energy Transition

Green hydrogen is expected to play a key role in:

  • Decarbonizing heavy industries

  • Storing renewable energy

  • Powering long-distance transport

  • Producing green ammonia and fuels

However, high costs and efficiency losses have slowed adoption.

A 40% efficiency improvement from such a simple modification could:

  • Reduce hydrogen production costs

  • Accelerate commercialization

  • Improve the economics of renewable energy storage

Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from radical inventions, but from rethinking simple details.

Conclusion: A Powerful Reminder That Innovation Can Be Simple

This research is a powerful example of how everyday materials can unlock extraordinary advances when used creatively.

By borrowing a non-stick concept from cookware and applying it thoughtfully to electrochemical engineering, the UNIST team achieved:

  • Higher efficiency

  • Lower energy losses

  • Greater scalability

  • Broader applicability

In the race toward a clean energy future, this discovery reminds us that innovation doesn’t always require complexity. Sometimes, it just requires looking at an old problem from a new angle—and realizing that the solution might already be in your kitchen.

Reference

Yunseok Kang et al., Anisotropically Wettable Porous Transport Layers for Gas Management in Water Electrolyzers, Advanced Science (2025).
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202508569

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