Dec 9 2014
Gareth Hinds, Principal Research Scientist in the Electrochemistry Group at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), was quoted in the Financial Times, speaking about a newly-discovered property of graphene which could have major implications for fuel cell technology.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered that the material, previously regarded as completely impermeable, will, in fact, let protons pass through it. The unexpected finding could revolutionise the technology of fuel cells, which generate power through the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen. A graphene membrane between electrodes could be used as a filter to let through protons, but not hydrogen atoms.
Gareth, who leads NPL's fuel cell research programme, told the Financial Times that as a result fuel cells would be more stable and produce more power. "This would have major implications for an environmentally friendly technology on the brink of commercialisation," he said.
Source: http://www.npl.co.uk/