Investigating freestanding energy-to-hydrogen fuel generation by solar energy absorption

About FreeHydroCells

FreeHydroCells, a multi-partner European consortium, led by University College Cork (UCC), has received nearly €3.75 million in Horizon Europe research funding for just over 3 years of exploratory activity.

If fully successful, the ambitious “high-risk/high return” project could provide a low-cost solar-to-chemical energy conversion system designed using sustainable materials. This system has the potential to significantly impact the global energy supply market and assist in urgently needed climate action.

FreeHydroCells overview

Open access

FreeHydroCells is committed to open access and all publications from the project will be made freely accessible.

Technology scale-up readiness

The envisioned proof-of-concept system will be designed, built, tested and protected in such a way as to enable a rapid scale-up if successful.

Equitable scale-up

Any potential scale-up of the system will remain as designed: cheap, reproducible, accessible, and environmentally friendly.

Public engagement

FreeHydroCells is committed to engaging with the general public for input and feedback on all outputs from the project.

Our team

The FreeHydroCells consortium includes four teams from across Tyndall National Institute and the School of Chemistry at University College Cork, Ireland who will collaborate with organisations from across Europe, including the Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energie Alternatives, France; Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Germany; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy; Gesellschaft fur Angewandte Mikro und Optoelektronik mit Beschrankterhaftung GmbH, Germany; and BARDS Acoustic Science Labs, Ireland. The project’s science communication partner is UCC Academy, Ireland, who will also provide support on project management.

FreeHydroCells consortium map

Our research

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News & events

FreeHydroCells 2024 General Assembly Meeting held in Aachen, Germany

22 April, 2024
The 2024 General Assembly meeting of the FreeHydroCells project took place in Aachen, Germany from 9th-10th April 2024. Project partner AMO GmbH hosted consortium partners from across Europe at the meeting, which focused on further advancing the scientific goals of the project.
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FreeHydroCells strives for My Green Lab certification

18 April, 2024
In this blog piece, we learn how FreeHydroCells, along with a number of other environmental research projects, is undertaking a comprehensive external audit of its lab sustainability practices, with the goal of reducing lab wastage and achieving the My Green Lab certification.
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FreeHydroCells featured to visiting student delegation

20 March, 2024
The FreeHydroCells project was featured in a presentation to a group of students visiting University College Cork from the Minzu University of China, entitled "Pathways of Water, Heat and Light to Novel Renewable Energy Sources".
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FreeHydroCells featured in JRF Annual Report 2023!

11 March, 2024
The FreeHydroCells project was pleased to be featured in the JRF Annual Report 2023. JRF is the research association of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
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FreeHydroCells at 2023 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston

26 January, 2024
FreeHydroCells presented the results of recent work on enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting using doped TMD nanofilms at the 2023 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting held in Boston, USA.
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Transition Year students welcomed to the FreeHydroCells lab!

20 December, 2023
A group of eight Transition Year students from across Ireland visited University College Cork's Environmental Research Institute as part of the AMBER Centre's TY Experience. The students visited labs for some hands on experience, and learnt about a number of innovative projects taking place in the fields of environment, energy and sustainability, including FreeHydroCells.
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FreeHydroCells Newsletter: Issue 1 Nov 2023

30 November, 2023
The first annual project newsletter features news and updates on activities over the first 12 months of the project.
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Meet the Team: UCC

8 November, 2023
Dr. Ievgen Nedrygailov, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Chemistry in University College Cork, tells us about the UCC research team who are involved in the FreeHydroCells project.
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Meet the Team: IMM-CNR

1 November, 2023
Dr. Giuseppe Suriani of the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems at Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche tells us about how the organisation's expertise plays a leading role in the FreeHydroCells project workplan, and how each team member is contributing towards the project work.
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Project General Assembly Meeting held in Cork, Ireland

13 October, 2023
The first annual General Assembly meeting of the FreeHydroCells project took place in Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland from 4th-5th October 2023. Project lead partner University College Cork hosted consortium partners from across Europe at the meeting, which focused on further advancing the scientific goals of the project.
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