Nanofoam Catalyst Could Lead to Hydrogen Economy

Feb-06-18 A nickel-based nanofoam catalyst could offer an inexpensive method of separating hydrogen from water.

Although hydrogen offers an environmentally friendly fuel source, the expense associated with extracting hydrogen from water has kept the hydrogen economy from flourishing. A new nanofoam catalyst from the University of Washington could change that, however.

Instead of the rare-Earth metals typically used in water electrolysis, the new catalyst is made up of a nanofoam consisting of nickel and iron. The large surface area of nanofoam offers more contact with the water, requiring less energy to catalyze the reaction while also showing very little reduction in activity during a 12-hour stability test.

Image: Yuehe Lin (left) and Shaofang Fu in WSU Lin’s materials engineering lab.

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