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Technology Innovation
Technol ogy Innovati on

Copper catalyst steps up yields hydrogen batteries, which unlike conventional
Nanoscale copper wires with specially shaped batteries, are more efficient and environmentally
surfaces can catalyze a chemical reaction to convert friendly, discharging only water or water vapor
carbon dioxide into ethylene, says a research team into the environment during use. The Chinese and
from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Russian researchers involved in the development
Pasadena, Calif., and the UCLA Henry Samueli School are from Beijing University of Chemical Technology
of Engineering and Applied Science, Los Angeles. and Samara National Research University. The
Using copper to kickstart the CO 2 to ethylene Chinese researchers are responsible for theoretical
conversion traditionally has posed problems. The calculations, conducting a series of experiments and
initial chemical reaction produces undesirable making anion exchange membranes for fuel cells
hydrogen and methane byproduct, and the ethylene and Russian researchers are focusing on developing
conversion efficiency wanes as the system continues high-performance non-platinum catalysts and
to run. testing their performance. (Source: globaltimes)
To address these issues, the researchers created
a “step” pattern design of the copper nanowires — New technique rolls out 40 feet of
10 similar to a set of stairs arranged at atomic scale. perovskite solar film per minute
This step pattern across the nanowires’ surfaces Perovskite solar cells are rapidly catching up to
remains stable under the reaction conditions. their silicon forebears in terms of efficiency, but one
An article detailing the system’s durability and area they continue to lag behind in is production
selectivity in producing ethylene appears in Nature speed. Now, researchers at Stanford University have
Catalysis. Computational studies of the reaction developed a new method of making perovskite solar
show the shaped catalyst favors the production of cells at up to 40 ft (12 m) per minute, which is even
ethylene over hydrogen or methane. The researchers faster than silicon.
also report a CO 2 -to-ethylene conversion rate of The team calls the new method rapid-spray
greater than 70%, much more efficient than previous plasma processing, which is performed using a robot
designs that yielded at least 10% less under the same with two nozzles – the first sprays a liquid mixture of
conditions. Electron microscopy and OH- adsorption perovskite precursors onto a sheet of glass, then the
cyclic voltammetry confirmed the stepped Cu second nozzle blasts the liquid with plasma, which
nanowire surface remained stable for 200 hours quickly converts it into a thin film of perovskite.
during the electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction. Using this method, the team says that the perovskite
(Source: chemicalprocessing) film can be produced at a rate of 40 ft per minute. It
should be cheap too – the researchers estimate that
China and Russia work on new energy the modules could be made for about US$0.25 per
battery as technology cooperation square foot (0.09 sq m), which is about one tenth the
broadens price of silicon.
China and Russia is accelerating the joint research The final product also has a respectable efficiency
and development of new technologies in new of around 18 percent, and after five months of
energy sector as part of the greater collaboration continuous use, the modules were still operating at
framework in the China-Russia Year of Scientific 15.5 percent efficiency. While that’s not too bad for
and Technological Innovation. This came after the perovskite, the team says that the next major hurdle
news suggesting Chinese and Russian researchers would be to find ways to make sure the cells last for a
are developing new materials to make cheap much more useful length of time.(Source: newatlas)

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