Work

Pyroelectrically driven cold-hot energy harvesting for green hydrogen production of Ag-decorated Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 nanofibers

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Temperature fluctuations, ubiquitous in daily life, remain underexplored for hydrogen production. Here, we demonstrate hydrogen evolution by harvesting energy from cold–hot alternations between 293 and 323 K (20-50 °C) using pyroelectric Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 TiO 3 nanofibers (BST NFs) and Ag-decorated BST nanofibers (BST/Ag NFs). BST NFs were synthesized by electrospinning, followed by photoreduction of 5 wt% Ag, producing uniformly dispersed nanoparticles. Under a temperature variation of 0.46 K at 0 V vs. RHE and 0.1 Hz, pyroelectric current densities reached 37 and 78 nAcm −2 for BST and BST/Ag, respectively. Ag decoration reduced the band gap from 3.12 to 2.75 eV and lowered charge-transfer resistance, enabling a hydrogen yield of 477 μmolg −1 after 30 thermal cycles. The enhanced performance arises from improved interfacial charge transfer, higher conductivity through the BST/Ag Schottky junction, and additional active sites, demonstrating an efficient, recyclable, and sustainable approach for clean hydrogen production.

Source: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.157974