Imperfect Graphene Actually Improves Fuel Cells, Research

If graphene naturally has a few tiny holes in it, the resulting proton-selective membrane could lead to improved fuel cells, according to a new research.

Researchers found that slightly defective graphene shuttles protons from one side of the graphene membrane to the other rather quickly. Separating protons from hydrogen is considered as one the major challenges in the fuel cell technology.

"Imagine an electric car that charges in the same time it takes to fill a car with gas," said chemist Franz M. Geiger, who led the research, in a press release. "And better yet-imagine an electric car that uses hydrogen as fuel, not fossil fuels or ethanol, and not electricity from the power grid, to charge a battery. Our surprising discovery provides an electrochemical mechanism that could make these things possible one day."

Researchers noted that the imperfect single-layer graphene produces a membrane that is the world's thinnest proton channel.

"We found if you just dial the graphene back a little on perfection, you will get the membrane you want," said Geiger, a professor of chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. "Everyone always strives to make really pristine graphene, but our data show if you want to get protons through, you need less perfect graphene."

The study further found that naturally occurring defects in graphene trigger a chemical merry-go-round where protons from water on one side of the membrane are shuttled to the other side in a few seconds.

"Our results will not make a fuel cell tomorrow, but it provides a mechanism for engineers to design a proton separation membrane that is far less complicated than what people had thought before," Geiger said. "All you need is slightly imperfect single-layer graphene."

The study will be published in the Nature Communications.