Palladium/Iron-Platinum Core/Shell Nanoparticle Catalysts Promising for Practical Fuel Cell Applications

Chemists at Brown University have synthesized novel core and shell palladium/iron-platinum (Pd/FePt) nanoparticles that use far less platinum yet perform more efficiently and last longer than commercially available pure-platinum catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in hydrogen fuel cells.

In testing, the current density generated from a 5 nm core/1 nm shell Pd/FePt nanoparticle (NP) was around 12 times higher than that from a commercial platinum catalyst. The 5 nm/1 nm Pd/FePt NPs had no noticeable change in morphology after the ORR test and 10,000 potential cycles and the core/shell structure was maintained. These nanoparticles, the researchers concluded, are promising new catalysts for practical fuel cell applications.

<!––>The oxygen reduction reaction takes place at the fuel cell’s cathode, creating water as its only waste. The cathode is also where up to 40% of a fuel cell’s efficiency is lost, so “this is a crucial step in making fuel cells a more competitive technology with internal combustion engines and batteries,” said Shouheng Sun, professor of chemistry at Brown and co-author of the paper published online 24 May in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Article Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/05/brown-20100526.html#more

The New Battery: CODA to Site Automotive Li-ion Battery Manufacturing Facility in Ohio Pending DOE Loan

CODA, a California-based electric car and battery company, plans to build an automotive-grade lithium ion battery system manufacturing facility in Ohio. CODA is considering several sites within Ohio for the facility, which could employ more than 1,000 initially. Construction of the facility is contingent upon finalizing an incentive package with the state of Ohio and the approval of an application for a Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan (ATVM) to be submitted soon. Lio Energy Systems, a joint venture between CODA and Lishen Power Battery, would operate the facility. Lio Energy Systems currently operates a one-million square foot facility in Tianjin, China with the production capacity to produce more than 20,000 battery packs per year. The proposed facility in Ohio would replicate this facility. CODA will be the majority and control shareholder of the US venture. CODA is slated to begin delivering its all-electric car in the fourth quarter of this year and anticipates that it can deliver more than 14,000 vehicles to customers by the end of 2011.

Article Source: Green Car Congress

Obama and Automakers Looking for Even Tougher Fuel Economy Regulations in 2025

Just about a month ago U.S. automakers, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency — working in coordination with the White House — adopted landmark regulations to relatively quickly raise the average new car fuel efficiency to 35 mpg by 2016. That process took a year to accomplish, but it represented an amazing shift on the part of automakers to lower their resistance to such a national program of emissions and fuel economy regulations… you might even say they were giddy about it.

Over the last year, not only have the automakers embraced the concept of a national program, they've beenpushing for even higher fuel economy standards in 2017 and beyond. To me, this is truly astounding. And just today, the two federal agencies and automakers got together at the White House to put their money where their mouth is and begin the process of addressing fuel economy and emissions regulations through 2025.

<a href="http://gas2.org/2010/05/21/obama-and-automakers-looking-for-even-tougher-fuel-economy-regulations-in-2025/-8039″ target=”_blank” style=”color: rgb(42, 93, 176);”>(more…)

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