Researchers from the Southern Federal University (SFU) have developed an economical material that can be used in the manufacture of eco-friendly fuel and energy storage.
As explained in the Research Laboratory of Functional Nanomaterials Technology at SFU, this material can be used as a catalyst for fuel cells. According to laboratory employee Tatyana Myasoedova, the main innovation of the complex material is the presence of copper-molybdenum sulfide (CuMoS), which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen under the influence of current.
The university's press service emphasized that currently noble metals - platinum and its derivatives are considered effective catalysts for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution. However, the cost of such a process is high. Moreover, palladium (a transition noble metal of the platinum group of silvery-white color - note. www1.ru) catalysts do not provide protection against oxidizing fuel substances. Against this background, the SFU study is very promising. According to Myasoedova, their material can be used as a catalyst for rechargeable batteries.