Putting a fuel cell 'in your pocket'

Science | Technology - Pete Wilton | 14 Apr 11. Technology using catalysts which make hydrogen from formic acid could eventually replace lithium batteries and power a host of mobile devices. Edman Tsang of Oxford University's Department of Chemistry and colleagues are developing new catalysts which can produce hydrogen at room temperature without the need for solvents or additives. Their initial results, reported in a recent paper in Nature Nanotechnology , are promising and suggest that a hydrogen fuel cell in your pocket might not be that far away. The new approach involves placing a single atomic layer of palladium atoms onto silver nanoparticles. 'The structural and electronic effects from the underlying silver greatly enhance the catalytic properties of palladium, giving impressive activity for the conversion of formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide at room temperature,' Edman told us. He explains that the storage and handling of organic liquids, such as formic acid, is much easier and safer than storing hydrogen.