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As you all know, unlike batteries, a fuel cell does not store energy but is a device that combines fuel and air to generate electricity directly. Normally the fuel used is hydrogen, which does not produce any emissions since the only waste it generates is is water.
Como todos sabéis, a diferencia de las baterías, una celda de combustible no almacena energía sino que es un dispositivo que combina combustible y aire para generar electricidad directamente, normalmente el combustible utilizado es el hidrógeno que no produce ninguna emisión pues el único residuo que genera es agua.
But these types of devices are usually quite expensive due to the materials they use such as Platinum electrodes, which limits their use in some types of applications such as electric vehicles, but now a team of researchers from Chiba University in Japan seems having found the solution: caffeine.
Pero este tipo de dispositivos suelen ser bastante costosos debido a los materiales que utilizan como los electrodos de Platino, lo que limita su uso en algún tipo de aplicaciones como los vehículos eléctricos, pero ahora un equipo de investigadores de la Universidad de Chiba en Japón parece haber encontrado la solución: la cafeína.
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According to this study, caffeine improves the activity of a fuel cell reaction 11 times, reducing the need to use expensive platinum catalysts, which reduces the cost of manufacturing the cells and therefore their final price, this could help that this type of devices would reach the market more easily.
Según este estudio la cafeína mejora la actividad de una reacción de celda de combustible 11 veces, disminuyendo la necesidad de utilizar los costosos catalizadores de platino, lo que reduce el coste de fabricación de las celdas y por ende su precio final, esto podría ayudar a que este tipo de dispositivos llegaran más fácilmente al mercado.
During the process, the researchers measured the current flow with platinum electrodes immersed in an electrolyte that had caffeine to analyze how it influenced the oxygen reduction reaction, the caffeine is adsorbed on the surface of the electrode, preventing hydrogen from adsorbing and avoiding platinum oxide to be created on the electrode.
Durante el proceso los investigadores midieron el flujo de corriente con electrodos de platino sumergidos en un electrólito que tenía cafeína para analizar como influía en la reacción de reducción de oxígeno, la cafeína es adsorbe en la superficie del electrodo evitando que el hidrógeno se adsorba y se cree óxido de platino en el electrodo.
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What one wonders is: how is this conclusion reached? Did they drop the coffee cup in the experiment? Well, it seems the researchers already sensed that protecting these catalysts with hydrophobic substances (which reject water) could increase its efficiency and caffeine was one of these substances.
Lo que uno se pregunta es: ¿como se llega a esta conclusión?, ¿se les cayó la taza de café en el experimento?, pues según parece los investigadores ya intuían que proteger estos catalizadores con sustancias hidrófobas (que rechazan el agua) podría incrementar su eficiencia y la cafeína era una de estas sustancias.
Be that as it may, this discovery will contribute to reducing the price of this type of propulsion, which will help us stop depending on fossil fuels. Furthermore, hydrogen can not only be obtained from renewable energies but large reserves of natural hydrogen have recently been discovered what will make this gas the fuel of the future.
Sea como fuere, este descubrimiento contribuirá a reducir el precio de este tipo de propulsión lo que nos ayudará a dejar de depender de los combustibles fósiles, además el hidrógeno no solo se puede obtener a partir de energías renovables sino que últimamente se están descubriendo grandes reservas de hidrógeno natural lo convertirá a este gas en el combustible del futuro.
More information/Más información
https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/caffeine-coating-gives-fuel-cells-a-boost/#:~:text=Modifying%20hydrogen%20fuel%20cells%20with,water%20as%20the%20only%20byproduct.
https://www.ecoticias.com/movilidad-electrica/cafeina-hidrogeno-expertos
Who knew caffeine would do the trick... Is there a compound in caffeine that allows it or is just the caffeine itself 😳
It seems the caffeine is solved in the electrolyte.
Wow it's very true, I guess that would work
I am amazed by the power of caffeine to improve the activity of fuel cells by 11 times. Very good thing, isn't it? Also makes the device less expensive. Very good discovery
Eh, I think as long as there is bussiness around oil hydrogen will always be the tail end otherwise I think it would already have more use or they would have invested in research....hydrogen would solve everything.......but oil creates wealth, sad I know......
Fascinating, we'll see if they can make it work in the real world working environment!