Now a research team led by Bruce E. Koel, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University, has opened a door to finding far cheaper alternatives.
Now a research team led by Bruce E. Koel, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University, has opened a door to finding far cheaper alternatives. In a paper published April 4 in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers reported that a chemical compound based on hafnium worked about 60% as effectively as platinum-related materials but at about one-fifth the cost.
“We hope to find something that is more abundant and cheaper to catalyze reactions,” said Xiaofang Yang, principal scientist at HiT Nano Inc. and visiting collaborator at Princeton who is working with Koel on the project.
Fuel cells work by converting energy stored in hydrogen atoms directly into electricity. NASA has long used fuel cells to power satellites and other space missions. Today, they’re beginning to be used for electric cars and buses.
Read more at Princeton University
Photo: Researchers used plasma to create new catalysts that are much cheaper than and almost as effective as standard, platinum-group versions. Photo by the researchers
