A pathway for protons: Efficient delivery to material's center turns oxygen cleanly into water
(Phys.org)—Pushing protons around may sound like a small task, but it is a big part of energy independence for the United States. Moving four relatively large protons to where they are needed is easier if you build a path, as is being done by scientists at the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis. The research team has built two iron-based compounds that help protons move from the exterior to where they are needed. Once delivered, the protons bond with molecular oxygen, O2, and create water. In previous compounds, the protons often don't arrive in time or go to the wrong place, which leads to forming the unwanted byproduct hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The new compounds direct the protons in ways that help separate the two oxygen atoms in O2, and thereby drives the reaction to completion.