UC Santa Cruz investigators initially made a breakthrough discovery by which a gallium-rich alloy of gallium and aluminum containing aluminum nanoparticles that could be formed at relatively low temperatures (between 20 and 40 degrees C) could liberate nearly theoretical quantities of hydrogen in effectively any source of water (NCD 32779) through a chemical reaction requiring no outside electrical input and no corrosive byproducts. One of the eventual useful byproducts of this reaction is alumina (aluminum oxide, Al2O3) a commodity chemical with a wide variety of uses in industry. This technology describes ways of further refining aluminum oxide from the products of this reaction. 

The present invention describes a novel method for acid-free pyrolytic synthesis of metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts for use in fuel cell/energy conversion applications. This method allows for rapid production of M-N-C catalysts that exhibit high activity and selectivity for CO2 electroreduction without needing harsh acids or bases.

Carbon-supported nanocomposites are attracting particular attention as high-performance, low-cost electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting. These are mostly prepared by pyrolysis and hydrothermal procedures that are time-consuming (from hours to days). In addition, it is difficult to produce a nonequilibrium phase from such methods. Methods of synthesis of nanocomposites are limited, and the range of materials that can be produced and the extent of structural engineering remain narrow. Thus, further development of effective protocols for the synthesis of materials with novel structures and properties is important.  

Hydrogen evolution reaction is an important process in electrochemical energy technologies. In practice, room-temperature water electrolysis can be performed in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. Platinum-based nanoparticles generally serve as the catalysts of choice. Typically, these reactions are carried out under acidic conditions. However, the high cost of proton exchange membranes as well as the sluggish electron-transfer kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction under acidic conditions have limited the applications of acidic water electrolyzers. Such issues can be mitigated when the reactions are carried out in under alkaline conditions. That said, HER under alkaline conditions comes with a significant disadvantage: HER electron-transfer kinetics about two orders of magnitude lower than that of acidic conditions with Pt catalysts. Either Pt catalysts need to be improved to better perform HER under alkaline conditions, or alternative catalysts that work better in alkaline conditions need to be developed.  

Platinum remains a leading choice of catalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution reaction (HER) but because of its high cost and low natural abundance, it is critical to optimize its use. HER catalysts with reduced amounts of Pt would be of high value. 

Hydrogen from sustainable/renewable inputs shows promise as a decarbonized energy source. Hydrogen can be produced from a liquid electrolyte (e.g., water) through a variety of sunlight-based processes, including low/high-temperature electrolysis (e.g., steam electrolysis), photoelectrochemical (PEC), and solar thermochemical (STC). Temperature-based electrolysis systems using solar electricity are generally more complex and less solar-to-hydrogen efficient than PEC and STC. Water-splitting by PEC uses functional materials and leverages sunlight-driven electron-hole pairs to produce hydrogen and oxygen in two half reactions. STC water-splitting uses a series of consecutive chemical reactions and absorbed heat from sunlight to generate hydrogen and oxygen in two full reactions. Generation of hydrogen bubbles at the electrode-electrolyte interface obstruct the propagation of sunlight to functional or catalytic interfaces which limits the cell performance.

Hydrogen remains a promising energy source and the development of efficient technologies for hydrogen storage and conversion is important. Mechanistically, suitable electrocatalysts are required to achieve a high hydrogen generation rate as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) involves multiple electron-transfer steps. Thus far, platinum based materials supported on carbon exhibit the best electrocatalytic performance for HER in acidic conditions - the best conditions for HER. However, commercial applications are hindered by the high cost and low availability of such materials. A variety of materials based on transition metals have been developed that show apparent HER electrocatalytic activities. However, such catalysts corrode in acid electrolytes. Carbon-based materials (such as graphene, CNT, and amorphous carbon) have also been explored as viable catalysts for HER and do not corrode in acid solutions. However, the activity of such compounds is substantially lower than that of platinum. 

Water electrolysis represents a sustainable and environmentally friendly method to generate hydrogen fuel. Since a proton rich environment is favorable for hydrogen adsorption on a catalyst surface, an acidic medium is preferable for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).However, performing HER in an acidic medium limits catalysts to platinum group metals. In addition, a corrosive acidic fog generated by the acidic electrolyte not only contaminates the produced hydrogen gas, but also causes severe chemical corrosion of the catalysts. These factors add significant cost for hydrogen generation and pose barriers for constructing large-scale electrolyzers. Alternatively, the use of alkaline electrolytes, which have a low vapor pressure and result in a relatively mild chemical environment could avoid these issues. Non-platinum group metals such as Ni can be used as electrocatalysts or electrodes with alkaline electrolytes. A major challenge for alkaline water electrolysis is the requirement of an additional water dissociation step (i.e., the cleavage of the strong H–OH bond) for generating the essential H atom intermediates for HER. The high activation barrier of water dissociation makes HER very sluggish in alkaline medium. For example, Pt typically exhibits two orders of magnitude lower exchange current density in alkaline solution than that in acidic solution. It is therefore critical to develop alkaline HER catalysts that contain both hydrogen adsorption sites as well as water adsorption and dissociation sites.

 Few energy sources work well in "off the grid" applications such as laboratory fieldwork, military, and space exploration. Solar panels can be bulky and petroleum products are dirty as well as bulky. Traditional hydrogen gas used in fuel cells requires pressurized tanks of flammable material that are difficult to transport safely to remote areas.A stable source of hydrogen gas that can be activated upon the addition of water would be a clean and safe energy source for these applications. Other such products exist, but they require water to be treated with e.g. alkaline chemicals before hydrogen can be released, or they might only work with purified water ‑ not whatever water might be available in remote conditions.Scale‑up of such a stable source could result in decentralized, on‑site production of hydrogen for additional, less remote applications such as the production of hydrogen fuel for vehicles in an area that lacks ready access to such fuels. 

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UCLA researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed a fuel cell catalyst system comprised of platinum-based alloys with a novel carbon support. The fuel cell has improved mass activity targets and increased stability.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering have demonstrated an innovative electrocatalyst design with a hybrid support for fuel cells that can dramatically increase the lifetime of the catalyst, as well as its activity.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have used selective dealloying method to produce novel high-performance, robust, and ultrafine mesoporous NiFeMn-based metal/metal oxide composite oxygen-evolving catalysts.

UCLA researchers from the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering have developed a method of generating hydrogen through steam reforming that does not require the large amounts of applied heat needed in conventional reforming processes.This presents the opportunity to greatly reduce operational costs associated with hydrogen generation.The method does not introduce air or oxygen to the reforming mixture, thereby avoiding the explosion hazard that is introduced by autothermal reforming.

With the drastic increase of human population, there is an ever-growing demand for energy and clean water. Distinct strategies have been used to address these two needs separately; the municipal wastewater is collected by local wastewater plants for purification and subsequent reuse as reclaimed water, while energy is produced largely by burning hydrocarbons. Millions of tons of wastewater is produced from industrial and agricultural operations each year and about 25 billion US dollars are spent annually for wastewater treatment in the United States alone. Meanwhile, the use of natural gas/petroleum generates  greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals. There is urgent need to employ energy-efficient processes for wastewater treatment, and simultaneously recover the energy stored in organic matter in wastewater.

Conventional power conversion cycles which turn fuel into heat and heat into power are constrained by basic thermodynamic considerations. The most modern technologies have been limited to 60% even with multiple cycles combined (i.e. Brayton and Rankine combined cycle). Recent demonstrations have shown relative efficiency gains of 30% in both spark-ignited and compression-ignited regimes. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are working to outdo these efforts by working on an ultra-high efficiency power cycle framework using argon as the working fluid. Early laboratory results suggest the argon engine could easily achieve 70% or greater thermal efficiency. Under such research the argon replaces nitrogen as the working fluid and is recycled in the closed-loop system.

There are many applications that require the storage of a high density of gas molecules. The driving range of vehicles powered by natural gas or hydrogen, for instance, is determined by the maximum density of gas that can be stored inside a fuel tank and delivered to the engine or fuel cell. In certain situations, it is desirable to lower the pressure or raise the temperature needed to store a given amount of gas through the use of an adsorbent. Developments in next-generation adsorbents, such as metal-organic frameworks and activated carbons, have shown certain weaknesses in terms of the amount of gas that can be delivered when an application has a minimum desorption pressure greater than zero and when a significant amount of heat is released during adsorption or cooling occurs during desorption. To help solve these problems, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a next generation of materials using novel porous metal-organic frameworks that demonstrate unprecedented deliverable gas capacities. These engineered adsorbents maximize the amount of gas delivered during each adsorption/desorption cycle. This shows promise in developing next generation gas storage materials for applications with a wide range of operating conditions.

UCLA researchers have developed a cathode that generates oxygen, consumes the oxygen as needed, and stops the oxygen generation when it is not consumed, all in a self-regulated fashion.