FEB 06

One of the more expensive parts of a standard fuel cell is its platinum catalyst. Platinum is a metal that is good at splitting up the oxygen (O2) molecule into two oxygen ions (O+) at the cell’s cathode. Platinum is also pretty expensive. In a fuel cell for a typical passenger car, the platinum catalyst can cost about $4,000.

Researchers at the University of Dayton, however, have been able to use an array of carbon nanotubes to perform the same catalytic activity. The carbon nanotubes are doped with nitrogen (the full name is nitrogen-containing carbon nanotubes, or VA-NCNTs) – this is to prevent the carbon from reacting with oxygen to form CO, a process called “poisoning”. The CO builds up on the surface, and reduces the effectiveness of the catalyst over time. But these VA-NCNTs keep carbon unreactive, and thereby prolong the catalyst’s lifetime.

There’s no estimate yet on how much such a fuel cell would cost – no one has built a full prototype. There will certainly be costs involved in processing such precise and aligned nanotubes, but such costs would also certainly go down with economies of scale. The bottom line is that carbon is plentiful and cheap, while platinum is rare and expensive.

As fuel cells can be designed with fewer and fewer such rare metals and materials, the concept of a hydrogen economy gains more long-term credibility. Sure, some claim that hydrogen technology will always be 10 years away. But that statement is more a reflection of the practical hurdles that stand between us and a hydrogen economy, and less a reflection of technical flaws in the plan. That is, the hydrogen economy still looks really good on paper, and the replacement of platinum catalysts with carbon makes it look even better.

Via Green Car Congress

Comments (9)

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written by Corban, February 06, 2009

We talking about titanium or platinum again?

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written by SeattleDave, February 07, 2009

I think you mean platinum, not Ti. Ti is very common and expensive, not rare and expensive. Ti, as far as I know, is not used as a catalyst for fuel cells.

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written by Martijn, February 07, 2009

Carbon Nanotubes.. what can't they do?

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written by Magnulus, February 07, 2009

Until Carbon Nanotubes can write all my uni essays for me, I don't care about all those things they can do. Bah!

(actually, I find them rather fantastic.)

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written by el jefe, February 07, 2009

I thought Ti was actually pretty cheap, its WORKING with Ti that gets expensive, since it doesn't like doing what you want it to do.

Nanoparticles are cool, but there is a big unknown about the environmental impact of their waste. My fear is that dust from carbon nanotube manufacturing and use is the next asbestos. They are being pushed as an engineering breakthrough, with no research into what their negative environmental impact is, or what environmentally relevant concentrations of their waste and byproducts are. Unintended consequences are what get us every time....

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Right On!
written by Kenny Canuck, February 09, 2009

Let's find a way to run out cars on something other than oil. Research funding should be increased a 100 times in order to find an alternative. Geopolitics would change overnight and the USA, with its dynamic culture would dominate.

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Shozbot!
written by MajorAluminumm, February 11, 2009

Nano Nano.The universe within.

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written by Nice, February 16, 2009

As long as the nanotubes can recycled meaning collected and easily disposed of this is an excellent advancement the one thing is I can get over how the nanotube is able to attract the O+ molecules other then it is just trying to take the nitrogens place but because of the resonant bonds and hybrid orbitals the oxygen just cant seem to make a connection with the carbon and only realizes it after its seperation O=O or maybe the double bond which is highly negatively charged is attracted in to the C+ and anelectron transfer occurs and both oxygen loose there electrons equaly hmm.
(cant beleive nanotubes are so amazing then again we have been using platinum for years in one of the most complicated reactions we can explain accurately and its in everyones car

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mass production
written by alan ward, September 02, 2009

all that is needed is a form of mass production and problem is solved.just about.and if needed filterd as is gortex sounds like plastic electrical,combination as in nature natural carbon selection plastic is as is wood nitrogens and barriers jump filters naturally.

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