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    • Rights: The University of Waikato
    Published 30 May 2008 Referencing Hub media
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    Prof Richard Haverkamp, of Massey University, explains electrocatalysts, and their potential for fuel cell1 technology. You can also see hydrogen2 gas being made by the electrolysis3 of water.

    Transcript

    DR RICHARD HAVERKAMP
    An electrocatalyst4 is like a catalyst5 but it involves some electrical current6 as well. So they’re a material that there is an electrochemical reaction involved. So an electrochemical reaction is where there is a chemical reaction7 taking place, but its either putting out some electrical power or it requires some electrical power to run it.

    If you take some hydrogen gas and some oxygen8 gas and you mix them together in a balloon say, nothing will happen, so you’ll just have a mixture of gases9. But if you put the right sort of catalyst in there you can get the two to react with each other and make water in a controlled manner. And that’s an electrocatalyst that could be used for example in a fuel10 cell11 where you can essentially burn hydrogen and oxygen and make electricity12. But it doesn't burn as in – with a roaring flame, its a very controlled reaction to give off electricity.

    Acknowledgements:
    Dr Aaron Marshall

    1. fuel cell: Uses a continuous supply of fuel to convert chemical energy into electrical energy.
    2. hydrogen: First element on the periodic table –­ symbol H, with the atomic number of 1, meaning that it has a single proton in its nucleus.
    3. electrolysis: A chemical change caused by passing electricity through a solution.
    4. electrocatalyst: A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction that makes or uses electricity.
    5. catalyst: A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction but is not permanently changed by that reaction. In living organisms enzymes are catalysts.
    6. current: The flow of electric charge through a conductor.
    7. chemical reaction: A process in which one or more substances are changed into different substances.
    8. oxygen: A non-metal – symbol O, atomic number 8. Oxygen is a gas found in the air. It is needed for aerobic cellular respiration in cells.
    9. gases: The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states. Gases have the ability to diffuse readily and to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.
    10. fuel: 1. A combustible substance that provides energy. 2. A body fuel such as fat, carbohydrates and protein that supplies energy for animals’ activities.
    11. cell: 1. Building block of the body. A human is made of millions of cells, which are adapted for different functions and can reproduce themselves exactly. 2. A simple electrolytic device that enables chemical energy to be transformed into electrical energy.
    12. electricity: A general term that includes a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electrical charge.

    Appears in

    ARTICLE

    Electrocatalysts for future fuels

    Professor Richard Haverkamp and Dr Aaron Marshall are chemical engineers at Massey University, Palmerston North. They have created nanoparticles and catalysts that will help fuel the future. To ...

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      fuel cell

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      2. Uses a continuous supply of fuel to convert chemical energy into electrical energy.

      electrocatalyst

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      3. A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction that makes or uses electricity.

      chemical reaction

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      4. A process in which one or more substances are changed into different substances.

      fuel

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      5. 1. A combustible substance that provides energy. 2. A body fuel such as fat, carbohydrates and protein that supplies energy for animals’ activities.

      hydrogen

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      6. First element on the periodic table –­ symbol H, with the atomic number of 1, meaning that it has a single proton in its nucleus.

      catalyst

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      7. A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction but is not permanently changed by that reaction. In living organisms enzymes are catalysts.

      oxygen

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      8. A non-metal – symbol O, atomic number 8. Oxygen is a gas found in the air. It is needed for aerobic cellular respiration in cells.

      cell

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      9. 1. Building block of the body. A human is made of millions of cells, which are adapted for different functions and can reproduce themselves exactly.

      2. A simple electrolytic device that enables chemical energy to be transformed into electrical energy.

      electrolysis

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      10. A chemical change caused by passing electricity through a solution.

      current

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      11. The flow of electric charge through a conductor.

      gases

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      12. The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states. Gases have the ability to diffuse readily and to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.

      electricity

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      13. A general term that includes a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electrical charge.

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