Producing hydrogen using cheap, abundant materials without compromising the performance is an appealing concept. But how to turn this into reality? In his research, Ameya Ranade brings together two cutting-edge fields: nuclear fusion and electrochemistry. On 19 January 2026 he successfully defended his thesis called 'Nano-scale Electrode Engineering for Alkaline Membrane Water Electrolyzers. From Design, Optimization to Scalable Implementation.’
One of the advantages of working at DIFFER, is the opportunity to make use of expertise that extends beyond your own team or department. Techniques originally developed to study the extreme conditions inside fusion reactors, specifically helium plasma have been repurposed to create better, longer-lasting catalysts for green hydrogen production. Ranade: “By exposing nickel-based materials to helium plasma, I was able to form tiny nanostructures that dramatically increase the surface area for chemical reactions, making water-splitting faster, more efficient, and more durable.”
The work of Ranade demonstrates a practical, scalable way to make green hydrogen more affordable, accelerating the transition to clean energy and building a bridge toward a sustainable, carbon-neutral future. Ranade: “I not only developed this approach of catalyst design for electrochemical water splitting, but also was able to optimize the catalyst surface, implement these structures in practical devices, and provide directions for further scale-up. Applying the method to electrolyzers improved performance, reduced energy losses, and allowed devices to meet or exceed industrial targets, by using cheaper metals.”
Entire lifecycle
Ranade draws three main insights from his PhD. Firstly, the embrittlement of the divertor in fusion reactors by helium plasma is a disadvantage for fusion energy, but can be beneficial for making nanostructured surfaces, increasing surface area and performance for (electro)chemical conversion. Secondly, commercially available Ni-based alloys are excellent catalyst materials for water splitting, and in his research, Ranade further improved their performance by nanostructuring with helium plasma. Thirdly, the catalyst design and the operating parameters play a very important role when upscaling water electrolyzers.
In his PhD, Ranade was able to already overcome the technical targets for electrolyzer systems that the US Department of Energy has set for 2026. Ranade: “My research focused on splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen by using alkaline membranes and earth-abundant materials with high performance. The research presented in my PhD covers the entire lifecycle that can be deployed in industry: from catalyst design, to scalable stacks.Achieving these targets can make green hydrogen competitive with other forms of hydrogen.”
Ready for industry
Looking at future steps, questions like ‘can you bring these electrolyzer systems to industry?’ are relevant. Ranade: “There is an urgent need to transition from lab-scale to real world systems. Then, you need companies to build the systems, so that we can use them in wind mill parks, solar parks, etcetera. What I did by using the nickel alloys was in fact extremely simple. These materials are abundant, and used inreactor, aerospace, marine components,and high corrosion environments. The supply chain for them is already there, so let’s use this.”
After working as a PhD researcher at DIFFER for four years and finishing his PhD, a remarkable period comes to an end. Ranade: “I came to TU Delft for my masters in 2019, before starting the PhD trajectory at DIFFER in 2022. At DIFFER, I was the only person combining nuclear fusion and chemical energy when it comes to water electrolysis.” After a well-rested December, Ranade is now looking for a new challenge after finishing his PhD: “I’d prefer a new challenge in fields like process development, research, R&D, and test engineering.” With The Netherlands being a serious option for Ranade: “I liked the directness of Dutch people, as I am also like that!”
PhD thesis
The full thesis of Qinghao Shen can be read here: Nano-scale Electrode Engineering for Alkaline Membrane Water Electrolyzers: From Design, Optimization to Scalable Implementation
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