Photo of the Week: Powering Resilient, Efficient, and Cost-effective Fuel Cells for Energy Security

Energy security relies on a mix of durable power generation technologies. Los Alamos National Laboratory developed the patented Coaxial Nanowire Electrode (CANE) to overcome the limitations of state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane fuel cells by significantly enhancing performance, durability, and efficiency. CANE features a thin platinum film wrapped around a nanowire core, markedly reducing the amount of platinum catalyst required and lowering costs. Los Alamos and InRedox LLC collaborated to examine practical, scalable manufacturing solutions. CANE could reduce reliance on imported energy sources, enhance domestic fuel cell production, and offer energy reliability for heavy-duty transportation, critical infrastructure, military applications, and grid resilience.

Photo Credit: Researcher checks a fabricated electrode before assembling it into the fuel cell hardware. Photo Credit: Ignacio Perez and Allen Hopkins (Los Alamos National Laboratory). Photo inset: Scanning electron microscopy image of the coaxial nanowire electrode. Photo Credit: Wipula Liyanage and Allen Hopkins (Los Alamos National Laboratory).