Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, have developed an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient process to produce hydrogen from methanol at ambient conditions.

Hydrogen, known for its clean energy potential, can be sourced from various methods, but the cost and environmental impact vary. Methanol, with its significant hydrogen content of 12.6 per cent, shows promise as a hydrogen source with a clean dehydrogenation reaction.

Using a commercially available ruthenium complex as a catalyst, the scientists achieved hydrogen generation from methanol through a clean chemical dehydrogenation reaction, making it a sustainable method for producing valuable chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The research, supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), opens new avenues for fundamental research and industrial applications, facilitating the synthesis of bulk and fine chemicals.

Additionally, methanol's potential as a hydrogen carrier enhances its usefulness in synthetic organic chemistry, offering ease of storage and transportation. Deuterated methanol's application in the preparation of deuterium-labeled compounds and bioactive molecules also holds growing interest in pharmaceutical sciences. This breakthrough brings us closer to a sustainable and greener hydrogen-based future. The research findings were published in the Journal of Catalysis.