{"id":13161,"date":"2020-01-07T09:24:28","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T14:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/magazine-archive\/?p=13161"},"modified":"2020-01-08T11:09:35","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T16:09:35","slug":"catalyst-for-green-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/magazine-archive\/2020\/01\/catalyst-for-green-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Catalyst for Green Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\"PEM\n

A new method of increasing the reactivity of ultrathin nanosheets could someday make fuel cells for hydrogen cars cheaper, according to a recent study by Chao Wang<\/a>, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study\u2019s findings, published in Science, offer the promise of faster, cheaper production of electrical power using fuel cells, and also of bulk chemicals and materials, such as hydrogen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery material experiences surface strain due to the breakdown of the material\u2019s crystal symmetry at the atomic level. We discovered a way to make these crystals ultrathin, thereby decreasing the distance between atoms and increasing the material\u2019s reactivity,\u201d says\u00a0Wang.<\/span><\/p>\n

Strain is, in short, the deformation of any material. For example, when a piece of paper is bent, the intricate lattices that hold the paper together are changed in response to the applied force.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this study, Wang and colleagues manipulated the strain effect, or distance between atoms, causing the material to change dramatically. By making those lattices incredibly thin, roughly 1 million times thinner than a strand of human hair, the material becomes much easier to manipulate\u2014just as one piece of paper is easier to bend than a thicker stack of paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re essentially using force to tune the properties of thin metal sheets that make up electrocatalysts, which are part of the electrodes of fuel cells,\u201d says Jeffrey Greeley of Purdue University, another study author. \u201cThe ultimate goal is to test this method on a variety of metals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adds Wang: \u201cBy tuning the materials\u2019 thinness, we were able to create more strain, which changes the material\u2019s properties, including how molecules are held together. This means you have more freedom to accelerate the reaction you want on the material\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Optimizing reactions can be useful in increasing the activity of catalysts used for fuel cell cars. While fuel cells represent a promising technology toward emission-free electrical vehicles, the challenge lies in the expense associated with precious metal catalysts, such as platinum and palladium, which has limited the viability of such vehicles for the vast majority of consumers. A more active catalyst for the fuel cells can reduce cost and clear the way for widespread adoption of green, renewable energy, the researchers say.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wang and colleagues estimate that their new method can increase catalyst activity by 10 to 20 times, using 90 percent less of precious metals than is currently required to power a fuel cell.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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