The Future of Fuel Cell Economy
Drunken Fuel Cell
Researchers at Saint Louis University are developing a postage-stamp-size fuel cell that can generate up to three month�s worth of electricity on a nip of alcohol and a few natural enzymes. Such a miniaturized power pack could one day replace the short-lived conventional batteries that now power portable electronic gadgets such as cellphones and labtops, claims lead researcher Shelley Minteer.
Simply put, a fuel cell is a battery that combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity. Most micro-fuel cells use expensive platinum catalysts to convert methanol fuel into hydrogen. (Hydrogen on its own is volatile and tricky to transport.) Trouble is, methanol degrades the platinum and ultimately causes the cell to generate less electricity.
Minteer�s fuel cell, on the other hand, relies on natural enzymes to convert alcohol-based fuels into hydrogen. Such enzymes are far cheaper than platinum and more fuel-efficient. But they�re delicate and become inactive when conditions aren�t right�not good fro a battery life. That�s why Minteer�s lab has designed a new way to keep the enzymes intact and the fuel cell running longer.
The secret is a Teflon-like polymer chemically engineered to house dozens of microscopic pods just big enough to cradle one enzyme each. When painted onto a negatively charged electrode in a fuel cell, the material shields the enzymes from fluctuations in temperature and acidity.
In a pinch, the cell could run on whatever form of alcohol is handy: methanol, ethanol�even vodka and wine work well. But how a labtop user would recharge his battery with a glass of Merlot at the airport bar is a question yet to be answered.
Source: Popular Science--
Enzyme: Alcohol dehydrogenase
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FN Lugemwa
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