Hydrogen stands out as one of the cleanest energy sources, and pioneering hydrogen production technologies hold significant promise in advancing the attainment of "dual carbon" objectives. Recently, Professor CHEN Yujin and his team from the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering at Harbin Engineering University have unveiled a groundbreaking hydrogen production device, a product of profound theoretical research and innovative thinking. This innovation aims to drive the emergence of new, high-quality productivity, offering a more efficient avenue for green hydrogen fuel production and the synthesis of high-value-added chemicals.

Their research, titled "Regulation of the d-band center of metal–organic frameworks for energy-saving hydrogen generation coupled with selective glycerol oxidation," has been published in the esteemed international academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). The paper meticulously elucidates the reaction pathways and catalytic mechanisms of the catalyst electrodes, laying a solid theoretical foundation for the further advancement of dual-functional catalysts for glycerol electrochemical oxidation coupled with hydrogen production.

The paper's lead author is HE Yuqian, a doctoral student from the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering at Harbin Engineering University. Assistant Professor YAN Feng from the same college serves as the corresponding author, with Professor CHEN Yujin from the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Professor Zhu Chunling from the College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, and Professor DUAN Shulei from Wenzhou University as co-corresponding authors.

▲ Synthesis process, microstructure, and application schematic of MCu-CAT