Iingcali zenzululwazi kudala zisazi ukuba iplatinam yeyona nto iphambili yokwahlula iimolekyuli zamanzi ukuvelisa igesi yehydrogen. Uphononongo olutsha olwenziwe ngabaphandi beYunivesithi yaseBrown lubonisa ukuba kutheni iplatinam isebenza kakuhle-kwaye ayisosizathu esicingelwayo.

Uphando, olupapashwe kwi-ACS Catalysis, lunceda ukucombulula umbuzo wophando ophantse ube yinkulungwane, ababhali bathi. Kwaye inokunceda ekuyileni izinto ezintsha zokuvelisa i-hydrogen ezingabizi kakhulu kwaye zininzi kuneplatinam. Oko kunokunceda ekugqibeleni ekunciphiseni izinto ezikhutshwa kumafutha efosili.

"Ukuba sinokufumanisa indlela yokwenza i-hydrogen ngexabiso eliphantsi kwaye ngokufanelekileyo, ivula umnyango kwizisombululo ezininzi zepragmatic zamafutha angenaziphene kunye neekhemikhali," utshilo u-Andrew Peterson, unjingalwazi onxulumene neBrown's School of Engineering kunye nombhali ophezulu wokufunda. . “I-hydrogen ingasetyenziswa kwiiseli zamafutha, idityaniswe ne-CO2 engaphezulu ukwenza amafutha okanye idityaniswe nenitrogen ukwenza isichumiso se-ammonia. Kuninzi esinokukwenza nge-hydrogen, kodwa ukwenza amanzi acande abe ngumthombo we-hydrogen onobungozi, sidinga i-catalyst enexabiso eliphantsi.

Ukuyila ii-catalysts ezintsha kuqala ngokuqonda ukuba yintoni eyenza iplatinam ikhetheke ngolu hlobo, utshilo uPeterson, kwaye yiloo nto olu phando lutsha lujolise ekuyifumaniseni.

Impumelelo yePlatinam kudala yanxulunyaniswa namandla ayo okubopha i-“Goldilocks”. Ii-catalysts ezifanelekileyo zibambelela kwiimolekyuli ezisabelayo zingakhululekanga kakhulu okanye ziqine kakhulu, kodwa kwenye indawo embindini. Bopha iimolekyuli ngokukhululekileyo kwaye kunzima ukufumana impendulo. Zibophe ziqine kakhulu kwaye iimolekyuli zinamathela kumphezulu we-catalyst, zenza ukuphendula kube nzima ukugqiba. Amandla okubopha i-hydrogen kwiplatinam ayenzeka nje ukuba alungelelanise ngokugqibeleleyo iinxalenye ezimbini ze-reaction-splitting reaction-kwaye ke uninzi lwezazinzulu lukholelwa ukuba luphawu olubangela ukuba iplatinam ibe ntle kakhulu.

Kodwa bekukho izizathu zokubuza ukuba loo mfanekiso ubuchanekile na, utshilo uPeterson. Umzekelo, i-material ebizwa ngokuba yi-molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) inamandla okubopha afana neplatinam, kodwa iyinto ebaluleke kakhulu ekuphenduleni ukuhlukana kwamanzi. Oko kubonisa ukuba amandla okubopha akanakuba libali elipheleleyo, uPeterson uthi.

Ukuze afumanise ukuba kwenzeka ntoni, yena noogxa bakhe bafunda indlela yokusabela kokwahlulwa kwamanzi kwii-catalysts zeplatinam besebenzisa indlela ekhethekileyo abayiphuhlisileyo ukulinganisa indlela yokuziphatha kweeathom neeelektroni kwii-electrochemical reactions.

Uhlalutyo lubonise ukuba iiathom zehidrojeni ezibotshelelwe kumphezulu weplatinam kwi "Goldilocks" amandla okubopha azithathi nxaxheba kwimpendulo konke konke xa ireyithi yokusabela iphezulu. Endaweni yoko, zihlala ngaphakathi komgangatho oqaqambileyo weplatinam, apho zihlala zibukele. Iiathom zehidrojeni ezithatha inxaxheba ekuphenduleni zibotshelelwe buthathaka ngakumbi kunokuba kucingelwa ukuba amandla “eGoldilocks”. Kwaye kunokuba bahlale kwiletisi, bahlala phezu kweeathom zeplatinam, apho bakhululekile ukuba badibane omnye nomnye ukwenza igesi ye-H2.

Yiloo nkululeko yokuhamba kweeathom ze-hydrogen phezu komhlaba eyenza iplatinam isebenze kakhulu, abaphandi baphetha.

"Into esixelela yona le kukuba ukukhangela le 'Goldilocks' amandla okubopha ayingomgaqo ochanekileyo woyilo lommandla wemisebenzi ephezulu," utshilo uPeterson. "Sicebisa ukuba ukuyila izixhobo ezibeka i-hydrogen kule meko ihamba ngokukhawuleza kwaye isebenzayo yindlela yokuhamba."