New catalyst / process dramatically improve fuel-cell-grade hydrogen production

Last August, Jim Dumesic, graduate student Rupali Davda and research scientist Randy Cortright described in the journal Nature, a process for catalytically reforming hydrogen from biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons. In June of this year, Dumesic and graduate students George Huber and John Shabaker reported in the journal Science a new nickel-tin catalyst for the process that is thousands of times less expensive and nearly as effective as platinum. In addition, publishing this summer in the prestigious German journal Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, Jim and Rupali report a new, second-stage "ultrashift" process that achieves CO concentrations of 60 PPM, down from the already low 300 PPM. The dramatic improvement in CO level overcomes a major obstacle in the efficient operation of fuel cells. Carbon monoxide poisons the electrode surfaces of the devices hampering their reliability. Read more about it at www.engr.wisc.edu/news/headlines/2003/Jun30.html.