Hydrogen Fuel Cell Advances

Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico have developed a new way to mimic photo synthetic proteins to manipulate platinum at the nanoscale. The redesigned platinum could be used in applications including catalysis, sensors, optoelectronics, and magnetic devices, according to John Shelnutt, a Sandia scientist.

The technique is similar to photosynthesis, but instead of manufacturing sugar, the new method changes a platinum ion to neutral metal atoms. The photosynthetic protein mimics this repeatedly, depositing metal as desired at the nanoscale level

Because the porphyrin remains attached to the platinum nanostructure and is active in the presence of light, it can also perform other functions besides growing itself. For example, when exposed to light, the platinum nanostructure extracts hydrogen from water. This reaction could lead to new ways of building hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles.