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Research Projects
Layer-by-layer Assembly of Carbon Nanocolloids for Fuel
Cells
Energy issues have
been widely discussed for the past decades as the fossil fuels
are running out quickly. Huge effort has been put into search
for sustainable energy alternatives such as solar, wind,
hydraulic power, and hydrogen based energy solutions. In the
so-called hydrogen economy, membranes will be one of the
challenges in material science. To recover clean and pure
hydrogen we need membranes with robust construction, low
thickness for high production rate, and high selectivity to
improve recovery efficiency. To consume the energy stored in
hydrogen in devices such as fuel cells, we also need the
membranes to have high strength, high conductivity, and well
organized nanostructures to promote the efficiency of catalytic
reactions.
Layer-by-layer
assembly has recently been utilized in fuel cells because the
membranes made by such technique are not only robust, but their
controlled nanoscale structures and the ability to be fine-tuned
can be incorporated seamlessly into energy applications. LBL
technique provides an ideal opportunity to create an intimate
organic-inorganic interface for efficient catalytic reactions as
catalyst nanoparticles can easily be embedded in LBL matrix.
With size-controlled catalyst nanoparticles deposited in the
matrix, we expect layer-by-layer assembly of carbon nanocolloids
to substantially improve the performance of fuel cell electrodes
by the optimization of catalytic reactions and transport
behavior.
Images: Platinum
nanoparticles on the sidewall of single-walled carbon nanotubes
(above) and carbon fibers (bottom).
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