(Press-News.org) Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that directly convert chemical energy from a fuel into electrical energy. Unlike batteries, which only store electricity, fuel cells can continuously generate electricity as long as both fuel and air are supplied.
A variety of fuels are being considered for such fuel cells, but the exact chemistries of their electricity-releasing reactions are complicated and not entirely understood. Gaps in this knowledge are some of the most critical barriers to deploying fuel-flexible clean energy technologies. For example, fuel cells that use solid oxides are susceptible to “sulfur poisoning,” where trace impurities of that element quickly degrade the system’s performance.
Now in a new study, University of Utah researchers have uncovered a previously unknown steam-enabled self-cleaning mechanism that dramatically improves sulfur tolerance in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes.
“This work establishes a new design strategy for sulfur-tolerant electrochemical materials,” said senior author Chuancheng Duan, an associate professor of chemical engineering. “We show that catalysts can be engineered not just to tolerate sulfur, but to actively clean themselves during operation.”
Yue Bao, a graduate student in Duan’s Materials Research Laboratory for Sustainable Energy in the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, is the lead author the study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The findings demonstrate that the addition of the element rhodium (Rh) to nickel-based SOFC anodes leads to the formation of bimetallic nanoparticles that actively resist sulfur poisoning and autonomously regenerate under steam exposure. This discovery provides the first direct evidence explaining why Rh-modified SOFC anodes maintain performance under sulfur-contaminated fuels. A better understanding of this mechanism will help make these fuel cells viable for real-world applications.
Sulfur impurities such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), even at trace levels, rapidly deactivate conventional nickel-based SOFC anodes by forming stable nickel-sulfur (Ni-S) species that physically block the anode’s surface. Using a powerful combination of in-situ high-temperature infrared spectroscopy, thermochemical analysis, and electrochemical diagnostics, the researchers show that rhodium fundamentally alters the surface chemistry of the anode. The addition of rhodium weakens Ni-S bonding while simultaneously activating water molecules to generate reactive hydroxyl species that oxidize adsorbed sulfur into volatile sulfur dioxide, which then naturally escapes from the surface.
As a result, SOFCs incorporating these Ni-Rh catalyst nanoparticles maintained more than three times higher power output and significantly lower polarization resistance when using fuel with under 100 parts per million H2S contamination, as compared to conventional nickel-based anodes. Remarkably, the catalyst demonstrated self-regeneration under realistic operating conditions, eliminating the need for external sulfur removal or complex regeneration protocols.
“Beyond SOFCs,” Bao said, “the findings offer broadly transferable insights for high-temperature catalysis, electrochemical energy systems, and fuel-flexible power technologies, particularly in applications involving natural gas, biogas, syngas or other sulfur-containing fuels.
#####
The study, titled “Unraveling Sulfur Tolerance Mechanisms in Samarium-Doped Ceria-NiRh Catalysts for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells,” appeared Feb. 19 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office under the Energy Sciences Competency program.
END
One of the big mysteries in food allergy is why two people with similar levels of peanut specific antibodies can react so differently. It turns out the answer may be in the mouth and gut’s bacteria.
A new study, led by researchers at McMaster University and published online in Cell Host & Microbe on March 3, 2026, shows for the first time how gut bacteria break down parts of an allergenic food and influence how a person reacts to peanuts. Peanut allergies are amongst the most common food allergies in Canada, ...
A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found an association between ultra-processed foods in early childhood, and behavioural and emotional development.
Specifically, the team found that higher ultra-processed food consumption is linked to behavioural and emotional difficulties including anxiety, fearfulness, aggression or hyperactivity.
“The preschool years are critical for child development, and it’s also when children begin to establish dietary habits,” ...
When a new species is discovered, it’s tempting to imagine an adventure novel, said Chan Kin Onn of Michigan State University.
“Most people have this image of an intrepid explorer braving an isolated mountain or some other remote place, and stumbling across a creature that no one has ever seen before,” Chan said.
Sure, that still happens occasionally. “But most of the time it’s far less glamorous,” he added.
Instead, the vast majority of new vertebrate species are “discovered” by revisiting known ...
Dr. Ekta Khurana, an associate professor of systems and computational biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, has received a two-year, $1 million Challenge Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation to work with researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on an AI-based method for early detection of treatment-resistant prostate tumor subtypes.
Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Awards support cross-disciplinary teams of investigators to conduct bold research that might not receive funding otherwise. Dr. Khurana will be working with Dr. Iman Hajirasouliha, associate professor of systems biology and computational biomedicine at Weill ...
In an elderly-care themed skit during the 2026 Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan), a lifelike android was modeled on actress CAI Ming. Why are humanoid robots becoming so lifelike and indistinguishable from real humans? One key technology enabling virtual humans to express vivid emotions, recognize identities, and demonstrate embodied intelligence is three-dimensional (3D) facial keypoint detection.
However, due to the lack of large-scale, accurately annotated 3D facial datasets, most current 3D facial ...
SAN ANTONIO — March 3, 2026 — To meet increasing demands for carbon capture and storage (CCS) services, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has completed updates to its subsurface safety valve (SSSV) facilities to accommodate testing for CCS applications.
CCS mitigates carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by capturing CO2 from industrial or energy-related sources and transporting and storing the greenhouse gas safely underground to prevent release into the atmosphere. SSSVs are used in traditional oil and gas operations to serve ...
The beta cells in our pancreas act as highly sensitive sensors that constantly measure the amount of sugar in our blood. As soon as we eat something and the sugar level rises, the beta cells produce insulin to help the body process the sugar properly. This process requires an enormous amount of energy from the cells, which they generate in their own internal power stations, the mitochondria. Research now shows that iron is the crucial fuel that enables these power plants to function during cell growth.
"During ...
As climate change nudges weather in the eastern Cascades in extreme and volatile directions, forest managers in the region have a lot to juggle. Hotter, drier summers are contributing to bigger and more frequent wildfires. Meanwhile, warmer winters may cause the Cascades to lose 50% of its annual snowpack over the next 70 years. Mountain snow supplies the Yakima River Basin with 75% of its water supply, making it a crucial reservoir for both nature and agriculture across a broad swath of central Washington. Less winter snow also leads to drier and more fire-prone forests in the summer.
To encourage fire resilience, forest ...
Astronomers with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), have used data from the project to make the largest, most accurate 3D map yet of the light emitted by excited hydrogen in the early universe, 9 billion to 11 billion years ago. This specific form of light, called Lyman alpha, is emitted in large quantities when hydrogen atoms are exposed to a star’s energy. That makes it a great tool for finding bright galaxies in this far-off time, which experienced a rash of star creation. However, the locations of fainter galaxies and gas, which also emit Lyman alpha, have remained largely unknown.
“Observing ...
Pre-teens who struggle to control their video gaming habits are more likely to have psychotic-like experiences a year later, a new study has found.
McGill University researchers and colleagues at Maastricht University found that 12-year-olds who showed signs of problematic gaming were more likely to experience mild paranoia, unusual beliefs or disturbed perceptions at age 13.
“Problematic gaming means having difficulty controlling one’s amount of gaming, leading to distress or problems at school or in relationships,” said ...
