Click here to sign in with or
Forget Password?
Learn more
share this!
51
Twit
Share
Email
April 3, 2024
This article has been reviewed according to Science X’s editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content’s credibility:
fact-checked
peer-reviewed publication
trusted source
proofread
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
In an era where the quest for sustainable energy sources has become paramount, researchers are tirelessly exploring innovative avenues to enhance fuel production processes. One of the most important tools in converting chemical energy into electrical energy and vice versa is electrocatalysis, which is already used in various green-energy technologies.
Electrocatalysis speeds up electrochemical reactions through the use of catalysts—substances that increase reaction rates without being consumed themselves. Electrocatalysis is fundamental in devices like fuel cells and electrolyzers, where it enables the efficient transformation of fuels such as hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, or water into hydrogen and oxygen, respectively, facilitating a cycle of clean energy.
But the problem is efficiency. Traditional electrocatalysis methods often fall short of maximizing the transport of reactants to the catalyst’s surface, which is a key step in energy conversion. This lowers the reaction’s overall efficiency, and slows down our progress towards clean energy solutions.
Now, scientists led by Magalí Lingenfelder at EPFL have developed a novel approach to track the fundamental processes that enhance the efficiency of clean fuel production. Published in Nature Communications, the work focused on the promising intersection of magnetic fields and electrocatalysis, offering a pathway to more efficient and environmentally friendly fuel production technologies.
The study showed that surrounding the catalysts with magnetic fields creates Lorentz forces—the forces that magnetic fields exert on moving electric charges. These in turn induce whirling motions that enhance the movement of reactants and products at the catalyst surface, ensuring a more consistent and rapid reaction but also overcoming the limitations posed by reactant scarcity, a common hurdle in reactions like the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), critical for fuel cells.
To do all this, the researchers had to build a tool for observing the movement of ions in real time under a magnetic field, using an advanced magneto-electrochemical setup. For the actual sophisticated setup, Lingenfelder turned to her office neighbor and spintronics expert, Professor Jean-Philippe Ansermet, who had also studied spin effects in electrochemistry.
“We adapted Jean-Philippe’s electromagnet to measure magnetic field effects on key electrocatalytic reactions for green energy,” she says. “Using a creative trick developed by Priscila and Yunchang [the first authors of the study], we were able to track in situ how ions move in the electrolyte under a magnetic field and to provide a solid ground on how to apply magnetic fields to boost electrocatalysis in a reproducible way.”
By applying magnetic fields to non-magnetic electrodes and monitoring reactions, the scientists were able to decouple the different effects and observe how magnetic forces can stir and enhance the movement of reactants around the catalyst. This process, akin to creating miniature whirlpools, significantly improves the efficiency of reactions crucial for green hydrogen production, offering a promising avenue for advancing sustainable energy technologies.
Is the new method practical? In the study, the scientists show more than a 50% boost in activity for the oxygen reduction reaction induced by magnetic fields on non-magnetic interfaces. This represents a substantial jump in efficiency, but, most importantly, allowed the team to resolve many fundamental controversies in the field by demonstrating the mechanisms and conditions needed for magnetic fields to enhance different electrocatalytic reactions involving gas products or reactants like hydrogen and oxygen.
The study charts the way towards using magnetic fields to improve the efficiency of electrocatalysis that can propel us towards more effective sustainable fuel production. It can revolutionize energy conversion technologies, make fuel cells more widely adopted e.g., in hydrogen vehicles, and increase the production of hydrogen as a clean energy source, also mitigating the impact of our energy consumption on the planet’s climate change.
More information: Priscila Vensaus et al, Enhancement of electrocatalysis through magnetic field effects on mass transport, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46980-8
Explore further
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Feedback to editors
11 hours ago
0
13 hours ago
0
Apr 4, 2024
0
Apr 2, 2024
0
Apr 2, 2024
0
11 hours ago
13 hours ago
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Mar 1, 2024
Mar 26, 2024
Mar 18, 2024
Feb 27, 2024
Mar 13, 2024
Mar 26, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 4, 2024
Apr 3, 2024
Apr 3, 2024
Apr 3, 2024
Apr 2, 2024
Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines).
Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request
Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.
Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.
Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient’s address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Tech Xplore in any form.
Daily science news on research developments and the latest scientific innovations
Medical research advances and health news
The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web
This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.