The massive commercial potential for using water and a nickel catalyst for generating hydrogen without CO2 emissions has prompted the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to deploy its little used Discovery Frontiers Initiative (DFI) to accelerate the research. DFI will provide $4 million over four years to a research team led by Queen's Univ's Dr Gregory Jerkiewicz to further work on electro-catalysis using nickel materials to develop the next generation of electrochemical clean energy technologies.

The research project has three core research thrusts, is undertaking seven areas of research and has six industrial partners that are contributing more than $2 million in-kind.

The technological breakthrough which made the new research possible was the development of microscopic nickel-based sponges that dramatically increase the surface required for electrochemical reactions to occur, breaking down oxygen and hydrogen with the latter stored in cylinders.

The nickel materials will be used in alkaline fuel cells instead of platinum which is far more expensive and of limited supply.

"Ballard (Power Systems) is interested and is a partner with us. They don't have the time, facilities or money to do the fundamental research we do," says Jerkiewicz, whose team of 14 Canadian and international researchers is also developing a new type of alkaline membrane for improved stability and conductivity. "This could get big. NSERC's money is an incredible injection of resources to ramp up the research, hire more researchers and graduate students to accomplish much more and much faster and make the process more energy efficient."

The research project will also explore the potential for breaking down glycerol — a waste product of biodiesel production — into commercial products.

"Tens of millions of kilograms of glycerol is produced in Canada and no one knows what to do with it," says Jerkiewicz. "We will be exploring glycerol's electrochemical transformation into value-added products."

The Jerkiewicz-led project was the sole winner in a call for proposals that attracted 30 letters of interest and six full applications.

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