N&N group members Xuesong Zhang, Pablo Guardia and Anna Roig published a new paper in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. It introduces a new method to create efficient hydrogen-producing catalysts using gold-platinum (AuPt) nanostructures. This research has been conducted alongside the former N&N member Miquel Torras, as well as the authors from the Catalan Institute for Energy Research (IREC) Jesús Chacón Borrero, Ren He and Andreu Cabot (the latter, also from ICREA).

Hydrogen is crucial for clean energy but needs cost-effective, efficient production methods. This study shows a path forward in this objective by offering a solution to a problem within the field: Platinum, commonly used for hydrogen production, is rare and costly. However, this method maximizes its use by forming a core-shell structure, where a gold core is covered by a platinum shell.

The article “Unlocking the Potential of Wood Residues for Producing Screen-Printed Electrochemical Sensors” has been published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering!

Former NN group member Wenchao Duan and his supervisor Martí Gich have published this interesting paper demostrating that wood waste can be used as feedstock for producing electrochemical sensors for water pollutant analysis. The use of biopolymers to produce carbon-based inks is currently being investigated in our group with the project Upcycling Organic Waste into Carbon-based Functional Inks for Environmental Sensing and Smart Textiles (UPCYCLING-NOW).