Spinach is good for us, as well as for planet
According to a study, the leafy vegetable, when converted into nanosheets, can act as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells and metal-air batteries; the method may replace platinum-based catalysts and pave the way for cleaner and greener
Spinach, the hearty, green vegetable chock full of nutrients, doesn’t just provide energy in humans but it also has potential to help power fuel cells, according to a new paper by researchers in AU’s Department of Chemistry.
Spinach, when converted from its leafy, edible form into carbon nanosheets, acts as a catalyst for an oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells and metal-air batteries.An oxygen reduction reaction is one of two reactions in fuel cells and metal-air batteries and is usually the slower one that limits the energy output of these devices. Researchers have long known that certain carbon materials can catalyze the reaction.
But those carbon-based catalysts don’t always perform as good or better than the traditional platinum-based catalysts. The AU researchers wanted to find an inexpensive and less toxic preparation method for an efficient catalyst by using readily available natural resources. They tackled this challenge by using spinach.
“This work suggests that sustainable catalysts can be made for an oxygen reduction reaction from natural resources. The method we tested can produce highly active, carbon-based catalysts from spinach, which is a renewable biomass,” said Prof. Shouzhong Zou, chemistry professor at AU and the paper’s lead author.
“In fact, we believe it outperforms commercial platinum catalysts in both activity and stability. The catalysts are potentially applicable in hydrogen fuel cells and metal-air batteries,” added Zou. Catalysts accelerate an oxygen reduction reaction to produce sufficient current and create energy. Among the practical applications for the research are fuel cells and metal-air batteries, which power electric vehicles and types of military gear.
Spinach is a good candidate for this work because it survives in low temperatures, is abundant and easy to grow, and is rich in iron and nitrogen that are essential for this type of catalyst.