Nitrogen doping of carbon-supported electrocatalysts is known to lead to a performance boost, although the reason why has not been clearly understood.
Using principal component analysis (PCA) of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) data, scientists from the Colorado School of Mines, Illinois, US, have made a direct observation between spatial relationship between a carbon-supported metal catalyst nanoparticle and surface-adsorbed nitrogen.
The study correlates improved catalyst-support interactions with high substrate nitrogen content in the immediate proximity of stabilised nanoparticles. The insights are applied to a prototype methanol fuel cell, which benefits in terms of performance and long-term stability.
New coating is self-defence for seeds
Scientists in Switzerland have developed a protective coating for seeds that poisons pests with cyanide when they bite into it. The coating is a system of two layers and only becomes toxic when the layers are mixed, eliminating the problem of environmental contamination that is associated w ... more
Using bacteria to make electrodes
Scientists in France have produced hematite using a bacterial pathway for use as an electrode material in Li-ion technologies. Currently, most commercial electrode materials for Li-ion technologies are prepared using the ceramic method, which requires long heating periods at high temperatur ... more
Marine plant replacement for platinum in solar cells
An international research team has shown that that the power conversion efficiency of sea tangle extract is comparable to platinum in solar cell electrodes. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are quickly becoming a widespread and affordable alternative to photovoltaic solar cells. The electr ... more
Royal Society of Chemistry – About us
With more than 51,000 members and an international publishing and knowledge business we are the UK’s professional body for chemical scientists, supporting and representing our members and bringing together chemical scientists from all over the world. more
Hear from RSC member Vicki Stone talk about her role as a Nanotoxicologist. more
When Food met Pharma: Delivery Strategies for Nutraceuticals
With growing prevalence of lifestyle-associated diseases, including obesity, Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, there is an urgent need and demand to try to prevent the onset of these diseases within our growing population. Nutraceuticals, along with appropriate diet and exercise, ... more
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
The RSC is a leading international publisher of highly regarded journals and books in the chemical sciences. The RSC is also the professional body for chemists with a global membership of over 46,000. more
A potentially cheap, efficient and eco-friendly system for purifying natural gas
Fundamental researchers at the Colorado School of Mines have proposed a novel two-part system for separating impurities from natural gas. Natural gas primarily contains methane, but impurities in the gaseous mixture need to be removed before the methane can be put into the pipeline. The new ... more
Methanol: a renewable fuel for the future?
Imagine powering your laptop computer or cell phone with alcohol? This idea might not be so far-fetched, as a number of organizations are already actively developing methanol-powered fuel cells for electronic devices. In fact, forecasts indicate that the market for methanol fuel cells may r ... more
