MIT reports boosting the efficiency of fuel cells by 100 times by virtue of a cheap yet super-efficient new electrode material. Look for in-home fuel cells that charge during the day from sunlight, then power you home at night by the end of the decade. R.C.J.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has licensed to Sun Catalytix a durable and low-cost material for the oxygen-producing electrode in a fuel cell. The cobalt and nickel-borate-based electrode materials enable the creation of more efficient fuel cells that have increased their rate of oxygen production from catalysts by one-hundredfold. The inexpensive cobalt and nickel-borate-based compounds eliminate the current need for expensive platinum catalysts and dangerous chemicals, such as the concentrated alkali used in commercial systems. Sun Catalytix promises safe, super-efficient versions of the system, suitable for homes and small businesses within two years.
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