Scientists discover a hidden switch inside silver nanocatalysts
Researchers from South Korea have identified a 'hidden switch' in silver nanocatalysts that changes their function based on whether a solid oxide cell is generating electricity or hydrogen. This discovery could lead to more efficient designs for clean energy devices.
Why it matters
Improving the efficiency of solid oxide cells is critical for advancing green hydrogen production and sustainable energy storage technologies.
Researchers have discovered for the first time that the same silver (Ag) nanocatalyst can operate at different reaction sites depending on whether a solid oxide cell is producing electricity or generating hydrogen. The finding points to a new way of designing these next-generation energy devices for better performance.
The work was led by Professors WooChul Jung and Jeong Woo Han of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU), together with Professor Sang Ouk Kim's team at KAIST and Dr. Beomgyun Jeong's team at the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI). Their results clarify how silver nanocatalysts improve solid oxide cell performance and show that both the location and mechanism of oxygen reactions change depending on how the cell is being used.
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