A fuel cell system that can generate electricity from organic compounds and clean up wastewater at the same time has been developed by scientists in China.
Yanbiao Liu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and colleagues made a photocatalytic fuel cell comprising a TiO2-nanotube-array (TNA) anode and a platinum-based cathode. The cell uses light energy to degrade organic compounds in wastewater, generating electrons that pass through to the cathode, which converts the chemical energy into electrical energy.
Interested in learning more? Read the full news story in Chemistry World and download the team’s ChemComm communication.