A US researcher claims to have developed a method of controlling the flow of protons and methanol which could improve the efficiency of methanol fuel cells for use in electronic appliances.

Although often touted by experts as a viable alternative fuel source, methanol fuel cells' efficiency has hitherto been impaired when methanol passes through the fuel cell's membrane along with protons during current generation.

However, Fred Wudl, an organic chemist at the University of California, now claims that it is possible to block the flow of methanol through a membrane with nanosopic spheres of carbon called buckyballs or fullerenes.

By using buckyballs in this way, methanol is prevented from crossing over the membrane due to chemical groups attached them, while still allowing protons to be shuttled across, New Scientist magazine reports.

Mr Wudl has applied for a US patent for the devices, which could be employed in a number of domestic electronic applications including laptops, cellphones and electronic games.

Source:

Invention: Green power special, 10/12/07,
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13026-invention-green-power-special.html

FULLERENE COMPOSITE MEMBRANES FOR DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELL,
http://www.wipo.int/patentscopedb/en/fetch.jsp?LANG=ENG&DBSELECT=PCT&SERVER_TYPE=19&SORT=1197994-KEY&TYPE_FIELD=256&IDB=0&IDOC=1472273&C=00&ELEMENT_SET=BASICHTML-ENG&RESULT=20&TOTAL=140&START=1&DISP=25&FORM=SEP-0/HITNUM,B-ENG,DP,MC,AN,PA,ABSUM-ENG&SEARCH_IA=US2007062553&QUERY=pa%2funiversity+AND+DP%2f07%2f09%2f2007


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