Singapore develops premium fuel cell materials

Researchers Singapore's Institute of Biotechnology and Nanotechnology (IBN) used a mixture of gold nanoparticles, copper and platinum to develop a high-energy and fuel cell fuel material. more durable.

The breakthrough of these scientists has recently been published in the world's leading magazine "Energy and Environmental Science".

Fuel cells are a promising technology used as a power source to power electronics, transport vehicles, airplanes and military equipment.

A fuel cell has the ability to turn chemical energy into electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen (fuel) and oxygen, and can produce continuous electricity as long as there is a fuel supply. .

Fuel batteries provide power for electronic devices.

Currently, commercial fuel cells use platinum (platinum) nanoparticles as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions, because platinum is the only metal that can counteract the situation. High acid inside this cell.

However, the widespread use of these fuel cells is hampered by the high cost of platinum and low stability.

To overcome this limitation, a group of IBN Institute researchers, led by CEO, Professor Jackie Y. Ying, devised a method to replace the central part of the alloy catalyst. gold-copper and leaving only the outer shell in platinum.

This new hybrid material can provide five times higher activity and much greater stability than commercial platinum catalyst.

Professor Ying said, IBN's research focus is to develop green energy technology, a technology that can deliver high efficiency and create sustainable environmental development.

He suggested that the new nanocomposite system, which is highly active and less expensive than conventional platinum catalysts, has allowed IBN researchers to significantly boost fuel cell development and make technology This is more practical application in industry.

IBN's new nanocomposite can produce a current of at least 0.571 amperes per milligram of platinum, compared to the current of 0.109 amperes per milligram of platinum when using commercial platinum catalysts.

For the first time, a new catalyst has demonstrated the ability to enhance both stability and reactive activity of fuel cells for platinum content significantly reduced.

According to Professor Ying, replacing the core of nano-catalytic particles with copper alloy will be less expensive and save the use of platinum, a very expensive noble metal.