Berkeley Scientists Discover Inexpensive Metal Catalyst for Generating Hydrogen from Water

[Greyskye]

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/news-releases/2010/04/30/inexpensive-catalyst-for-generating-hydrogen-from-water/

“Our new proton reduction catalyst is based on a molybdenum-oxo metal complex that is about 70 times cheaper than platinum, today’s most widely used metal catalyst for splitting the water molecule,” said Hemamala Karunadasa, one of the co-discoverers of this complex. “In addition, our catalyst does not require organic additives, and can operate in neutral water, even if it is dirty, and can operate in sea water, the most abundant source of hydrogen on earth and a natural electrolyte. These qualities make our catalyst ideal for renewable energy and sustainable chemistry.”

(...)

This research was supported in part by the DOE Office of Science through Berkeley Lab’s Helios Solar Energy Research Center, and in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

[Aramchek]

1. Awesome, bring it on!

[NNadir]

2. A catalyst has no effect on the thermodynamics of a reaction other than kinetic effects.

Unless there is energy to drive the reaction, the point is meaningless.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

4. How come Vittorio DeNora

is a bizillionaire. Henri Beer used to screen H2O -> H2 + 1/2 O2 catalysts by dropping them in mildly alkaline NaOH-NaCl solutions.

[NNadir]

10. Wow. I never knew that the truth of Josiah Willard Gibbs physical laws was a function of his real

financial net worth.

This must mean that Bill Gates is the greatest scientist who ever lived.

I always thought that the truth Gibbs' laws, which laid the foundation for the work of Boltzman, Planck, and many other scientists, were a function of his scientific genius and not his bank account.

My kid will be taking high school chemistry next year. If he comes out of the class not knowing what's ridiculous about your statement, I will have a very bleak opinion of science teaching in my local schools. But I don't expect that to happen.

[jpak]

11. Wow - I never knew the NJ molten salt brreeder reactor was a fraud

Will high school students in NJ learn about that steaming heap of sickfuckery?

:rofl:

[Tesha]

5. Yes, but it helps the *ECONOMICS* of the reaction if the catalyst is cheap.

Molybdenum costs less than platinum.

Tesha

[FBI_Un_Sub]

3. Significant work

This could be the "Holy Grail" of electrochemistry and electrocatalysis. Surprised Vittorio deNora hasn't appeared.

[lurky]

6. Molybdenum?

I don't know much about it. I'm pretty sure it's not a common substance, though. If this technology takes off, I'm guessing the demand for molybdenum would skyrocket, along with the price.

Anyone know more about it?

[Wilber_Stool]

7. Here 'ya go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum

[FBI_Un_Sub]

8. Photochromic eyeglasses

A Mo organo metallic (I don't know which one) is the photochromic dye in photochromic eyewear ("Transitions"(R))

[old mark]

9. I am at least familiar with it as an alloying metal in types of steel -

it makes steel more resistant to corrosion and heat-and as an ingredient in high temperature lubricating grease it in effect plates a metal surface with a microscopic layer of molybdenum which prevents wear.

mark