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Hydrogen
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Hydrogen for a Clean Energy Future
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Hydrogen for a Clean Energy Future

A special issue of Hydrogen (ISSN 2673-4141).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 3848

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rajender Boddula

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Sciences, Woxsen University, Hyderabad 502345, India
Interests: functional materials; heterogeneous catalysts; hydrogen production; clean energy and environmental science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogen is rapidly gaining global recognition as a cornerstone of clean energy transition. Its versatility—as a fuel, energy carrier, and industrial feedstock—makes it a promising solution to decarbonize sectors ranging from transport and power generation to chemical manufacturing and heavy industry. However, realizing the full potential of hydrogen requires advancements across multiple fronts: material development, system-level integration, infrastructure deployment, and environmental lifecycle assessment.

This Special Issue aims to bring together interdisciplinary research that addresses the scientific, technological, and sustainability aspects of hydrogen energy. It will focus on materials and systems designed for hydrogen production (including water electrolysis, thermochemical, and biological pathways), storage and distribution technologies, fuel cells, and hydrogen-powered systems. In addition, this Special Issue will explore the environmental implications of hydrogen technologies—from life cycle emissions and resource consumption to the broader role of hydrogen in achieving net-zero targets.

We invite researchers, engineers, and policymakers to contribute high-quality original articles, reviews, and case studies that showcase current progress, emerging challenges, and future opportunities in the hydrogen economy.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Sustainable hydrogen production from renewable and low-carbon sources;
  • Advanced materials for hydrogen generation (electrocatalysts, photocatalysts, thermochemical materials);
  • Biomass-derived hydrogen production;
  • Materials and systems for hydrogen storage (metal hydrides, porous materials, LOHCs);
  • Fuel cell technology development and applications;
  • Hydrogen infrastructure: safety, distribution, and scalability;
  • Techno-economic and lifecycle analysis of hydrogen systems;
  • Environmental and societal impact of hydrogen deployment;
  • Hydrogen integration into existing energy systems and smart grids;
  • Policy frameworks and strategies supporting hydrogen transition;
  • Applications in industry, transport, and power sectors;
  • Advances in hydrogen sensors and diagnostic technologies;
  • Coupling hydrogen with carbon capture and utilization (CCU);
  • Circular hydrogen systems and integration with the circular economy.

Dr. Rajender Boddula
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Hydrogen is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydrogen generation
  • hydrogen production and storage
  • clean energy transition
  • fuel cells
  • carbon capture and utilization (CCU)
  • hydrogen economy

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 6157 KB  
Article
Delignification of Rice Husk for Biohydrogen-Oriented Glucose Production: Kinetic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Water and NaOH Pretreatments
by Lovisa Panduleni Johannes, Nguyen Van Thinh, Md Sahed Hasan, Nguyen Thi Hai Anh and Tran Dang Xuan
Hydrogen 2025, 6(4), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen6040121 - 17 Dec 2025
Viewed by 988
Abstract
Rice husk (RH) is a widely available lignocellulosic residue for biohydrogen production but requires effective pretreatment to overcome lignin-related recalcitrance. This study investigates the kinetics of lignin removal from RH using 3% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and water pretreatments at high temperatures between 100 [...] Read more.
Rice husk (RH) is a widely available lignocellulosic residue for biohydrogen production but requires effective pretreatment to overcome lignin-related recalcitrance. This study investigates the kinetics of lignin removal from RH using 3% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and water pretreatments at high temperatures between 100 and 129 °C (25 °C control) with short reaction times (15–60 min) in an autoclave system. Biomass composition, solid yield, delignification efficiency, and enzymatic hydrolysis for glucose production were evaluated. NaOH pretreatment achieved up to 72.72% lignin removal at 129 °C after 60 min, significantly outperforming water pretreatment, which reached a maximum delignification of 20.24% under the same conditions. Kinetic analysis revealed first-order reaction behavior, with the kinetic rate constants varying between 5.14 × 10−5 and 4.31 × 10−3 with water pretreatment and from 3.73 × 10−4 to 2.46 × 10−2 with NaOH and activation energies of 42.61 kJ mol−1 K−1 and 39.31 kJ mol−1 K−1 for water and NaOH pretreatment, respectively. Enhanced lignin removal improved cellulose accessibility, resulting in glucose yields from enzymatic hydrolysis of up to 52.13 mg/g for NaOH-treated samples, double those obtained with water pretreatment (26.97 mg/g). While NaOH pretreatment achieved higher lignin removal efficiency and glucose yield, it exhibited significantly higher environmental impacts across multiple categories, including global warming potential and terrestrial ecotoxicity, based on the life cycle assessment (LCA). Even water-based pretreatment showed considerable burdens; thus, both pretreatment methods impose high life cycle impacts when applied to RH, which makes it an unsustainable feedstock for glucose production under the evaluated conditions. Alternative feedstocks or improved process integration strategies are required for environmentally viable biohydrogen production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen for a Clean Energy Future)
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21 pages, 2611 KB  
Article
Hydrogen-Rich Gaseous Mixture for Enhanced Combustion in a Flex-Fuel Engine: An Experimental Analysis
by Lucimar Venancio Amaral, Augusto César Teixeira Malaquias, Gabriel Heleno de Paula Araújo, Marcos de Carvalho Torres Filho, Marco André Fraga, Ricardo Belchior Torres, Rita de Cássia de Oliveira Sebastião and Fabricio José Pacheco Pujatti
Hydrogen 2025, 6(4), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen6040099 - 3 Nov 2025
Viewed by 995
Abstract
This experimental study examines the effect of adding a hydrogen-enriched synthetic gaseous mixture (HGM’) on the combustion and fuel conversion efficiency of a single-cylinder research engine (SCRE). The work assesses the viability of using this mixture as a supplemental fuel for flex-fuel engines [...] Read more.
This experimental study examines the effect of adding a hydrogen-enriched synthetic gaseous mixture (HGM’) on the combustion and fuel conversion efficiency of a single-cylinder research engine (SCRE). The work assesses the viability of using this mixture as a supplemental fuel for flex-fuel engines operating under urban driving cycling conditions. An SCRE, the AVL 5405 model, was employed, operating with ethanol and gasoline as primary fuels through direct injection (DI) and a volumetric compression ratio of 11.5:1. The HGM’ was added in the engine’s intake via fumigation (FS), with volumetric proportions ranging from 5% to 20%. The tests were executed at 1900 rpm and 2500 rpm engine speeds, with indicated mean effective pressures (IMEPs) of 3 and 5 bar. When HGM’s 5% v/v was applied at 2500 rpm, the mean indicated effective pressure of 3 bar was observed. A decrease of 21% and 16.5% in the ISFC was observed when using gasoline and ethanol as primary fuels, respectively. The usage of an HGM’ combined with gasoline or ethanol, proved to be a relevant and economically accessible strategy in the improvement of the conversion efficiency of combustion fuels, once this gaseous mixture could be obtained through the vapor-catalytic reforming of ethanol, giving up the use of turbochargers or lean and ultra-lean burn strategies. These results demonstrated the potential of using HGM’ as an effective alternative to increase the efficiency of flex-fuel engines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen for a Clean Energy Future)
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Review

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22 pages, 3650 KB  
Review
Combustion Characteristics of Hydrogen-Enriched Natural Gas with a Focus on Residential Appliances: A Review
by Theodor Mihnea Sîrbu, Cristi Emanuel Iolu and Tudor Prisecaru
Hydrogen 2026, 7(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen7010020 - 30 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1008
Abstract
This review examines the combustion characteristics of hydrogen-enriched natural gas with a specific focus on residential appliances, where safety, efficiency, and emission performance are critical. Drawing on experimental studies, numerical simulations, and regulatory considerations, the paper synthesizes current knowledge on how hydrogen addition [...] Read more.
This review examines the combustion characteristics of hydrogen-enriched natural gas with a specific focus on residential appliances, where safety, efficiency, and emission performance are critical. Drawing on experimental studies, numerical simulations, and regulatory considerations, the paper synthesizes current knowledge on how hydrogen addition influences flame stability, flashback phenomenon, thermal efficiency, pollutant formation, and flame geometry. Results across cooktop burners, boilers, and other domestic systems show that moderate hydrogen blending not only can reduce CO and CO2 emissions and enhance combustion efficiency but also can increase burning velocity, diffusivity, and flame temperature, thereby elevating flashback and NOx risks. The review highlights the blending limits, design adaptations, and operational strategies required to ensure safe and effective integration of hydrogen into residential gas infrastructures, supporting its role as a transitional low-carbon fuel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen for a Clean Energy Future)
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