Oliver Curnick, PhD Student

School of Chemical Engineering

University of Birmingham

I chose Birmingham for its strong links with industry, and I've really benefited from opportunities to gain knowledge and skills outside of my research area, whether essential (business skills and commercial awareness) or just for interest (Mandarin Chinese language). When I finish my PhD, I'll have gained more than just a qualification.

Research Project:
Developing new hydrogen fuel technologies

Hydrogen fuel cells offer clean, efficient energy generation without the need for fossil fuels. They work by converting hydrogen gas directly into electricity, and produce only water as a by-product. Although they were invented over 150 years ago, so far fuel cells have always been too expensive for mass-market applications – mainly because they contain expensive platinum (Pt) catalysts and tend not to last as long as existing technologies, like petrol and diesel engines.

Our research aims to reduce the amount of platinum required by the fuel cell whilst making the catalyst more durable, in order to reduce their cost and extend their lifetime. We can reduce Pt loading by making better use of the precious metal, for instance by making sure that the catalyst particles are located in the right places so they will be most active, or by mixing Pt with other metals to form more catalytically-active alloys. To improve durability, we can form a protective coating on the particles to prevent them from dissolving or fusing together during use.

If we are successful in achieving targets for Pt loading and catalyst durability, this will represent a significant step towards enabling widespread adoption of this technology for power generation in homes and vehicles. In turn, the replacement of dirty, inefficient engines and turbines with clean, green fuel cells will help to achieve improvements in efficiency and reductions in harmful emissions needed for a sustainable energy future.