Researchers at Oxford University, United Kingdom, are developing new catalysts that can produce hydrogen at room temperature without the need for solvents or additives. The catalysts, which make hydrogen from formic acid, could eventually replace lithium batteries, and suggest that a hydrogen fuel cell in your pocket may not be that far off. The team’s approach involves placing a single atomic layer of palladium atoms onto silver nanoparticles, resulting in the ability to convert formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide at room temperature. Such catalysts would enable the production of hydrogen from liquid fuel stored in a disposable or recycled cartridge, creating miniature fuel cells that could power everything from mobile phones to laptops. Edman Tsang, with the Department of Chemistry, said, “There are lots of hurdles before you can get a real device, but we are looking at the possibility of using this new technology to replace lithium battery technology with an alternative which has a longer lifespan and has less impact on the environment.” The team’s results were reported in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/science_blog/140411.html