Scientists in the US have devised a new pgm-based catalyst that offers high-powered efficiency and potentially a cheaper, cleaner device for fuel cells.

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of Idaho have used nanotechnology to create a catalyst comprised of 'walls' which contain platinum and ruthenium deposits.

Using supercritical carbon dioxide, a substance which acts as both a liquid and a gas, the team say they have succeeded in producing a cleaner and more effective catalyst which could play a key role in fuel cell technology.

Unlike the conventional solvents normally used, the new "supercritical fluid technology" offers greater control when applied, and is also completely non-toxic.

Further details on the applications of the new technology in fuel cells are expected when lead PNNL scientist Yuehe Lin discusses "Nanotube Nanocomposites Synthesized in Supercritical Fluid as Electrocatalysts for Low-Temperature Fuel Cells" at the NSTI Nanotechnology Conference in Boston this week.


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