A team of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin has discovered a new way to produce pure oxygen from cheap and abundant materials. The process uses hexagonal manganites, which are leftovers from the steel industry, and can be scaled up for industrial production.

Oxygen is essential for life and is used in a wide variety of industries, including steelmaking, chemical processing, and medicine. However, the current methods for producing oxygen are energy-intensive and can generate harmful pollutants.

The new process, described in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, uses a simple chemical reaction to release oxygen from hexagonal manganites. The reaction can be carried out at room temperature and pressure, and does not require any expensive or specialized equipment.

"This is a very exciting discovery," said Dr. James M. Tarascon, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. "We have found a way to produce pure oxygen from cheap and readily available materials, and the process is scalable for industrial production."

The researchers believe that the new process could have a significant impact on a wide range of industries. For example, it could be used to replace the energy-intensive processes currently used to produce oxygen for steelmaking. It could also be used to produce oxygen for use in fuel cells, which are used to power electric vehicles and other devices.

"We are still in the early stages of development, but we believe that this process has the potential to revolutionize the way that oxygen is produced," said Dr. Tarascon. "We are looking forward to exploring the full potential of this technology."

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.