Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, have developed a new coating technology that could improve the efficiency and durability of solar-powered green hydrogen production systems, potentially helping lower costs and improving the reliability of clean hydrogen generation.

The study, published in the journal Small, focuses on photo-assisted electrochemical (PAEC) water splitting, a process that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Green hydrogen produced through such methods is increasingly seen as a key fuel for decarbonising sectors such as refining, fertilisers, steel and heavy transport.

A major challenge with existing solar water-splitting systems is the gradual peeling of catalyst coatings from electrodes, which reduces performance over time. In addition, gas bubbles formed during the reaction tend to stick to electrode surfaces, blocking active sites and lowering hydrogen output.

The IIT-Guwahati team addressed both issues by developing a composite coating that combines graphitic carbon nitride — a two-dimensional photocatalyst — with a bubble-repellent hydrogel layer on porous nickel foam.

Unlike in conventional approaches where photocatalysts are simply coated on electrode surfaces, the researchers embedded the catalyst within the coating structure itself, says a press release from IIT-Guwahati. According to the team, this improved adhesion and enhanced surface activity enabled the gas bubbles to detach more quickly during reactions.

The researchers reported that the new coating delivered 51 per cent higher hydrogen production and 44 per cent higher oxygen production compared with conventional systems.

Real estate dividends from clean energy transition

India’s accelerated renewable energy push is expected to create a $10–15 billion opportunity in land aggregation and acquisition by 2030, opening up a major new business avenue for the real estate sector, according to a report by Colliers.

In the report titled ‘The green shift: Renewable prioritisation reshaping Indian real estate’, the property consultancy said an estimated $110–120 billion investment is likely to flow into solar and wind energy projects in the next few years.

Land acquisition and aggregation alone typically account for 10–12 per cent of the total project cost in renewable energy development. The report noted that in solar projects, most land is acquired either directly by private developers or through State and central nodal agencies for large solar parks. In wind projects, land is mainly needed for substations and associated infrastructure, while turbine sites are often secured through lease arrangements.

Beyond land transactions, the report said, the renewable energy expansion could generate wider opportunities for the real estate ecosystem, including industrial and warehousing demand from original equipment manufacturers, as well as services such as site surveys, feasibility assessments, engineering procurement and construction, and operations and maintenance facilities.

India has set ambitious renewable energy capacity targets as part of its broader energy transition and decarbonisation strategy, leading to a rising demand for large contiguous land parcels across states with high solar irradiation and wind potential.

According to Colliers, the growing scale of renewable deployment is increasingly positioning real estate and infrastructure players as key enablers of clean energy transition.

Published on May 25, 2026