Rice University scientists turn unzipped nanotubes into
possible alternative for platinum
(March 2, 2015) Graphene
nanoribbons formed into a three-dimensional aerogel and enhanced with boron and
nitrogen are excellent catalysts for fuel cells, even in comparison to
platinum, according to Rice University researchers.
A team led by materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan and
chemist James Tour made metal-free aerogels from graphene nanoribbons and
various levels of boron and nitrogen to test their electrochemical properties.
In tests involving half of the catalytic reaction that takes place in fuel cells,
they discovered versions with about 10 percent boron and nitrogen were
efficient in catalyzing what’s known as an oxygen reduction reaction, a step in
producing energy from feedstocks like methanol.