On September 9, 2025, the research team headed by Researcher Yin Huajie from the Institute of Solid State Physics at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, achieved a significant breakthrough in the realm of self - powered green hydrogen production through photothermal air - water collection. The pertinent research findings were published in the renowned journal Advanced Materials.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) technology stands as the cornerstone approach for green hydrogen production. However, in regions plagued by water scarcity, its application is severely restricted because it relies on high - purity water as the feedstock. To address this issue, the research team put forward a self - powered system that integrates photothermal air - water collection and proton exchange membrane electrolysis. In this system, ordered hierarchical porous carbon is employed as the adsorbent.

By leveraging a coupled mechanism that encompasses air - water collection, photothermal evaporation, and light - driven electrolysis, the system successfully realizes fully solar - powered green hydrogen production with zero carbon emissions. Under conditions of 40% relative humidity, the system can achieve a water uptake rate of 0.49 liters per kilogram of adsorbent per hour. Moreover, it maintains stable performance even in arid conditions with 20% relative humidity.

In indoor simulation experiments, the green hydrogen production rate reached 295.5 milliliters per hour. Field tests further confirmed that the system can operate stably over the long term without the need for external heating.