Nanowerk September 11, 2023 A few MOFs which typically use strong acids as proton sources, display superprotonic conductivity. However, they are rare due to the instability of MOFs in highly acidic conditions. Researchers in South Korea have shown superprotonic conductivity using a moderately acidic guest, zwitterionic sulfamic acid (HSA), which was encapsulated in MOF-808 and MIL-101. HSA acted not only as a proton source but also as a proton-conducting medium due to its extensive hydrogen bonding ability and zwitterion effect. A new sustained concentration gradient method resulted in higher HSA encapsulation compared to conventional methods. The MOFs showed impressive superprotonic […]
Tag Archives: Hydrogen fuel cells
New faster charging hydrogen fuel cell developed
Science Daily August 12, 2022 Metal hydrides (MH) have large hydrogen storage capacity, low operating pressure, and high safety. However, their slow hydrogen absorption kinetics significantly decreases storage performance. Researchers in Australia designed and optimized a semi-cylindrical coil for hydrogen storage and embedded it as an internal heat exchanger with air as the heat transfer fluid (HTF). They analyzed and compared it with normal helical coil geometry, based on various pitch sizes, investigated the operating parameters of MH storage and HTF to obtain optimal values. Results from this study demonstrated that MH storage performance is significantly improved by using a […]
Carbon-coated nickel enables fuel cell free of precious metals
Science Daily March 24, 2022 An international team of researchers (USA – Cornell University, University of Madison, Japan, China) designed a nickel-based electrocatalyst with a 2-nanometer shell made of nitrogen-doped carbon. Their hydrogen fuel cell has an anode catalyst consisting of a solid nickel core surrounded by the carbon shell. When paired with a cobalt-manganese cathode, the resulting completely precious-metal-free hydrogen fuel cell outputs more than 200 milliwatts per square centimeter. The nickel oxide species on the surface of the nickel electrode slows the hydrogen oxidation reaction dramatically. The nitrogen-doped carbon coating serves as a protection layer and enhances the […]
This hydrogen fuel machine could be the ultimate guide to self-improvement
Science Daily April 5, 2021 Development of an efficient and durable photoelectrode is important for the deployment of solar-fuel production. A team of researchers in the US (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Michigan) has shown the photoelectrochemically self-improving behaviour of a silicon/gallium nitride photocathode for hydrogen production with efficiency approaching ~100%. Using correlative approach based on different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, and density functional theory calculations, they provided a mechanistic understanding of the chemical transformation as the origin of the self-improving behaviour. A thin layer of gallium oxynitride forms on the side walls of the […]