Researchers in New York claim to have produced the world's longest-ever platinum nanowires, according to a report in Nano Letters, the American Chemical Society's monthly journal.

Lead scientist James C M Li and his colleagues suggest that the wires, which are 1/50,000 the width of a human hair, could improve speed development of fuel cells for trucks and cars.

http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=9595.php

Mr Li believes the nanowires, which are woven in electrodes, could offer fuel cells the impetus required to make them commercially viable, EE Times reports.

"Our electrodes will be woven from nanowires which are very, very long compared to their width," the University of Rochester professor told the news provider.

"Their small size exposes more catalyst, making the fuel cells using them more efficient while reducing their expense since less platinum is required."

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215900139

Ballard Power Systems has signed a three-year supply deal with German firm Baxi Innotech, Reuters reports.

The Canadian company will sell fuel cells exclusively as it prepares for the second phase of a government and industry joint demonstration venture for fuel cell heating units.

Baxi is looking for supply and utility partners as it attempts to develop the units for single-family homes in Europe.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN1128928820090311

Meanwhile, the Birmingham Post has revealed that Nissan will test its X-Trail hydrogen fuel cell vehicle at a filling station in England's second city.

The Japanese automaker has extended its trial period for the vehicle and is reportedly keen to make use of the facility, which is located at the University of Birmingham.

http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/OurWorld/4043356/en-GB.html

Toshiba has revealed that it will not be selling its first direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) battery charger until later this year, IDG News reports.

The company had originally planned to launch the product in March but has encountered problems trying to obtain certain components, according to the news provider.

However, it still intends to press ahead with its desire to launch DMFC packs for mobile phones and laptop computers during the 2009 fiscal year, which runs until March 2010.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/161745/toshiba_delays_first_fuel_cell_product_launch.html

The UK's largest telemetry project has received a boost after UPS Systems announced that it intends to provide 20 methanol fuel cells to its organisers.

Interserve Project Services will use the units to help monitor and control water flow and alarm signals in an aqueduct connected to the Elan Valley Reservoir, a crucial 73-mile stretch which is a major water supplier to the West Midlands.

The units each possess a 28-litre container of methanol which is capable of powering Severn Trent Water's equipment for 24 hours per day for 300 days.

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2009/3/prweb2268844.htm

Fuel cells could play a key role in US President Barack Obama's attempts to use energy independence to help attain economic security, according to a new report in Chemical and Engineering News.

Trung van Nguyen, Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Kansas, has explained that making fuel cells last longer will arguably be the biggest challenge.

"This area is rich with opportunities for analysis," he was quoted in the journal as saying. "The major issues with today's fuel cells, especially polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells, are durability and cost."

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/87/8713cover2.html

Researchers at Brown University have developed palladium nanoparticles which are capable of offering 40 per cent more active surface area than their commercially available counterparts.

The tests involving the particles, which speed up fuel cell reactions and also remain intact for four times longer, are detailed in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Their novel approach involved using weak binding amino ligands to ensure the nanoparticles remained separate and retained their size while attached to the carbon platform.

http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=32669