Newswise — Turmeric, a spice found in most kitchens, has an extract that could lead to safer, more efficient fuel cells.Researchers at the Clemson Nanomaterials Institute (CNI) and their collaborators from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) in India discovered a novel way to combine curcumin — the substance in turmeric — and gold nanoparticles to create an electrode that requires 100 times less energy to efficiently converts ethanol into electricity.While the research team must do more testing, the discovery brings replacing hydrogen as a fuel cell feedstock one step closer.“Of all the catalysts for alcohol oxidation in alkaline medium, the one we prepared is the best so far,” said Apparao Rao, CNI’s founding director and the R. A. Bowen Professor of Physics in the College of Science’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.Fuel cells generate…
Extract from a common kitchen spice could be key to greener, more efficient fuel cells
