This research focused on advancing green hydrogen production through urea-assisted water splitting, which can significantly reduce carbon emissions if applied in bulk. 

 

At first, our work was purely physical. We set up a novel urea-based water splitting system under the guidance of our mentor, Mr. Ren. The goal was to find an optimal material, but the path was a wall of possibilities, as hundreds of candidates required an impossible amount of time to test.

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Faced with this impasse, I proposed a new approach: using a computational model to simulate the performance of each electrode. Digital simulation allowed us to pinpoint the most promising materials. 

 

Eventually, we designed and fabricated low-cost catalytic electrodes selected from those with optimal performances in the simulations, then conducted structural characterization with SEM and electrochemical analysis to evaluate their performance.

 

That moment solidified my core belief: the most elegant solutions in environmental science are almost always interdisciplinary.