Synchronously Producing H 2 and Purifying Methyl Orange-Polluted Water through the Reaction of an Al-GaInSn Alloy Plate and H 2 O.

Hydrogen gas (H 2 ) as a fuel has the advantages of high energy density (122 kJ g -1 ) and zero carbon emissions. To meet the growing demand for H 2 in the future, green, efficient, and convenient production technologies must be developed. The Al-H 2 O reaction, which produces H 2 by reacting aluminum (Al) with water (H 2 O), is considered a rapid method for producing H 2 . However, Al-H 2 O creates a protective oxide layer on the surface of Al, preventing the production of H 2 . In this study, we developed a simple method for forming Al-GaInSn alloy by brushing GaInSn-Al 2 O 3 grease onto an Al plate to form an Al/GaInSn-Al 2 O 3 /Al sandwich structure. Al 2 O 3 in the sample supports GaInSn, prevents the leakage of GaInSn, and promotes its penetration into the Al lattice to form Al-GaInSn alloy. By forming a liquid phase within the alloy, GaInSn increases the accessibility of Al to the reaction. As a result, the Al-GaInSn alloy can rapidly react with pure H 2 O to produce H 2 at room temperature conditions, with yields as high as ∼93.2%. It was interesting to find that dye-polluted water (methyl orange) could be synchronically purified by the Al-H 2 O reaction at the same time.