Veterinary

Investigators at Cornell University Describe Research in Boranes

  2012 MAY 15 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "The widespread adoption and deployment of fuel cells as an alternative energy technology have been hampered by a number of formidable technical challenges, including the cost and long-term stability of electrocatalyst and membrane materials. We present a microfluidic fuel cell that overcomes many of these obstacles while achieving power densities in excess of 250 mW/cm(2)," investigators in Ithaca, New York report.

  "The poisoning and sluggish reaction rate associated with CO-contaminated H-2 and methanol, respectively, are averted by employing the promising, high-energy density fuel borohydride. The high-overpotential reaction of oxygen gas at the cathode is supplanted by the high-voltage reduction of cerium ammonium nitrate. Expensive, ineffective membrane materials are replaced with laminar flow and a nonselective, porous convection barrier to separate the fuel and oxidant streams," wrote Mota N. Da and colleagues, Cornell University.

  The researchers concluded: "The result is a Nafion-free, room-temperature fuel cell that has the highest power density per unit mass of Pt catalyst employed for a non-H-2 fuel cell, and exceeds the power density of a typical H-2 fuel cell by 50%."

  Da and colleagues published their study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (Membraneless, Room-Temperature, Direct Borohydride/Cerium Fuel Cell with Power Density of Over 0.25 W/cm(2). Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2012;134(14):6076-6079).

  For additional information, contact N. Da Mota, Cornell University, Dept. of Chem & Biomol Engn, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States.

  The publisher of the Journal of the American Chemical Society can be contacted at: Amer Chemical Soc, 1155 16TH St, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA.

  Keywords: City:Ithaca, State:New York, Country:United States, Region:North and Central America, Boranes, Borohydrides, Electronics, Energy, Fuel Cell, High Voltage, Oil & Gas, Technology

  This article was prepared by VerticalNews Veterinary editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2012, VerticalNews Veterinary via VerticalNews.com.