Urja Daily
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Renewable
    • Solar
    • Rooftop
    • Floating Solar
    • Module
    • Wind
    • Hydrogen
    • Biomass
    • Tenders
    • Sustainibility
  • Storage
  • E-Mobility
  • EV Batteries
  • Smart City
  • Power
    • Smart Grid
    • Microgrid
    • Off-Grid
  • Editor’s Pick
    • Articles
    • In Talks
    • E-MAG
    • Market Research
  • On-demand Webinars
  • More
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • News
  • Renewable
    • Solar
    • Rooftop
    • Floating Solar
    • Module
    • Wind
    • Hydrogen
    • Biomass
    • Tenders
    • Sustainibility
  • Storage
  • E-Mobility
  • EV Batteries
  • Smart City
  • Power
    • Smart Grid
    • Microgrid
    • Off-Grid
  • Editor’s Pick
    • Articles
    • In Talks
    • E-MAG
    • Market Research
  • On-demand Webinars
  • More
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Urja Daily
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Towards Affordable Clean Energy: Exploring New Catalysts

Urja Daily by Urja Daily
October 20, 2021
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Natl_Korea
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

BUSAN, South Korea – Meeting society’s ever-increasing energy demands while also striving for sustainability goals has become a worldwide challenge, and scientists are exploring a variety of technologies to produce clean, renewable energy that can replace fossil fuels. Besides wind and solar power, electrochemical approaches using fuel cells are attractive because they represent a compact, silent, and environmentally friendly alternative to generate electricity.

Direct urea fuel cells (DUFCs) are a particular type of fuel cell that generates electricity by breaking down urea, a nitrogen-rich molecule widely applied in fertilizers and also largely present in wastewater. However, fuel cells require catalysts to function; these are carefully selected materials that facilitate the necessary chemical reactions. In the case of DUFCs, unfortunately, the best performing catalysts known are made using precious metals, like platinum.

RELATED POSTS

BPCL Kochi Refinery Celebrates 60 Years, Charts Sustainable Path Forward

VinFast Expands into Hyderabad with Dual Showroom Launch

To tackle this limitation and find a more accessible alternative, an international research team led by Prof. Kyu-Jung Chae of Korea Maritime and Ocean University investigated a promising family of catalysts: nickel chalcogenides. The researchers used three-dimensional nickel (Ni) foam as a lightweight ‘substrate’ and then combined the outermost layer of the nickel with different chalcogen elements (oxygen, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium), producing a nanosheet of nickel chalcogenide following the complex contours of the Ni foam. They also prepared nickel phosphide (Ni–P) and nickel layered double hydroxide (Ni–LDH) in a similar fashion.

After synthesizing and characterizing the various catalysts, the team experimentally determined which one offered the best electrochemical performance, which turned out to be the one containing Ni–Se. Then, they thoroughly tested it in a real DUFC and determined what exactly gives Ni–Se an edge versus the rest, as Prof. Chae explains: “We found that selenium has a strong synergistic effect with Ni, and that the unique nanoscale morphology of the catalyst we prepared provides a high surface area to oxidize urea and enough pores to enhance mass transfer.“

The findings of this study, which was made available online on 16 July 2021 and published in volume 150 the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews in October 2021, not only show that catalysts with different compositions can be directly grown on a lightweight support such as nickel foam, but also that nickel-based materials can be tailored to match and even outperform state-of-the-art catalysts containing precious metals. “We managed to realize a high power density in an urea-based fuel cell using inexpensive materials,” highlights Prof. Chae, “Thus, our research extends the capabilities of urea fuel cells and encourages their commercialization.“

It is worth noting that DUFCs can serve various purposes simultaneously. They can generate electricity while also helping in the treatment of urea-ridden wastewater, providing clean water in the process as well. These qualities make DUFCs a versatile option in remote places without access to a stable power grid, such as in rural areas, ships, or even space missions.

Let us hope the efforts of Prof. Chae and colleagues help pave the way to the widespread adoption of urea-based fuel cells, and on towards a brighter tomorrow.

Reference

Title of original paper: Synthesis and performance evaluation of various metal chalcogenides as active anodes for direct urea fuel cells

Tags: Clean EnergyEnergyFossil FuelsRenewable EnergySolar PowerTechnologiesWind Power
ShareTweetShare
Urja Daily

Urja Daily

Related Posts

BPCL

BPCL Kochi Refinery Celebrates 60 Years, Charts Sustainable Path Forward

by Palak
September 29, 2025
0

Kochi, Kerala, India - Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is celebrating sixty years of its Kochi Refinery. From a modest start...

VinFast

VinFast Expands into Hyderabad with Dual Showroom Launch

by Palak
September 26, 2025
0

Hyderabad, Telangana, India - VinFast Auto India announced the inauguration of its two showrooms in Hyderabad, further strengthening its presence...

Samsung

Samsung and Videotex Partner to Expand Tizen OS TVs in India

by Palak
September 25, 2025
0

Delhi : Videotex International Pvt. Ltd. has announced a partnership with Samsung to locally manufacture Smart TV powered by Samsung Tizen OS...

Mitsubishi Electric

Mitsubishi Electric Launches KEGMIL to Streamline Elevator and Escalator Service Management

by Palak
September 25, 2025
0

TOKYO - Mitsubishi Electric Building Solutions Corporation (MEBS, Head Office: Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo; President: Iwao Oda) today announced the introduction of KEGMIL, a...

WOTR

Maharashtra, WOTR Sign Pact to Mainstream Ecological Resilience in State Planning

by Palak
September 23, 2025
0

Pune: The Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra, has signed an MoU with the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)...

Next Post
70mai Power Station Tera 1000

70mai Announced Official Launch of Power Station Tera 1000

printed-electronics

Printed Electronics Market worth $23.0 billion by 2026

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

BPCL

BPCL Kochi Refinery Celebrates 60 Years, Charts Sustainable Path Forward

September 29, 2025
Montra Electric

Montra Electric Unveils Rhino 5538 EV & New Automated Battery Facility

September 29, 2025

MOST VIEWED

  • Hydrom

    Hydrom and Thyssenkrupp Nucera Partner for Green Hydrogen Projects in Oman

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • SFC India Selected Dassault Systèmes for Indigenization and Digital Transformation of Wastewater Treatment Plants

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Juniper Green Energy Secures 1 GW Solar Module Deal with First Solar

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • PGCIL Wins ISTS Project for Renewable Energy Integration in Karnataka

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

BPCL Kochi Refinery Celebrates 60 Years, Charts Sustainable Path Forward

Montra Electric Unveils Rhino 5538 EV & New Automated Battery Facility

VinFast Expands into Hyderabad with Dual Showroom Launch

India Can Lead in Semiconductor Innovation, If We Skill Right

Samsung and Videotex Partner to Expand Tizen OS TVs in India

Mitsubishi Electric Launches KEGMIL to Streamline Elevator and Escalator Service Management

Latest Magazine

© 2016 – 2025 TechZone Print Media | All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Renewable
    • Solar
    • Rooftop
    • Floating Solar
    • Module
    • Wind
    • Hydrogen
    • Biomass
    • Tenders
    • Sustainibility
  • Storage
  • E-Mobility
  • EV Batteries
  • Smart City
  • Power
    • Smart Grid
    • Microgrid
    • Off-Grid
  • Editor’s Pick
    • Articles
    • In Talks
    • E-MAG
    • Market Research
  • On-demand Webinars
  • More
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe

© 2016 - 2025 TechZone Print Media | All Rights Reserved