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Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, Henry Samuel Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, led a team of researchers developing nanostructures made from three metal compounds to increase fuel cell efficiency while reducing production costs and Durability. Their program addresses the thorny issue of the technology's stagnation.
Yu Huang, associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles and lead researcher for the study, published the research in the June 12 issue of Science.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells, as a clean energy technology, have a wide range of applications including use in zero-emission vehicles. Fuel cells work by causing hydrogen fuel to react chemically with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, and they produce water as a by-product of pollutants and greenhouse gases emitted by conventional vehicles.
The chemical reactions that take place in proton exchange membrane fuel cells are catalyzed by metals. One of these chemical reactions is a redox reaction, which usually uses platinum as a catalyst. However, the high cost of platinum has been a major factor hindering the widespread adoption of fuel cells. Scientists have studied alternative catalysts including platinum-nickel compounds, but so far, have not been a viable solution.
The researchers used a surface engineering technique known as "surface doping" to create a fuel cell that is more efficient, durable, and less expensive to produce. The researchers added a surface-modified platinum-nickel nanostructure called molybdenum The third metal. This change makes the alloy surface more stable and prevents the loss of nickel and platinum during prolonged use.
The study found that nanostructures on the surface of platinum, nickel and molybdenum are 81 times more efficient than the currently available platinum-carbon composite catalysts. Moreover, the three metal compounds can still maintain the catalytic efficiency of 95% after being used for a period of time, which is obviously superior to the catalytic efficiency of the platinum-nickel catalyst of 66% or less.
"We found that the addition of a third transition metal significantly improved efficiency and durability and reduced costs," said Huang, who is also a member of the California Institute of Nanotechnology. "In addition, it shows that doping technology can also be applied to a range of catalysts, opening up a new path for catalyst engineering looking for efficient catalysts for environmental protection, energy production and chemical products."
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