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Hydrogen fuel cells harness the chemical energy of hydrogen through an electrochemical reaction with oxygen. This process generates electricity without combustion, making it a clean, efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional power sources. However, their widespread adoption faces challenges, particularly in finding cost-effective and durable catalysts to optimize their performance. The Role of Platinum […]

Hydrogen production has emerged as a key player in the race to achieve net zero emissions, offering a clean and efficient energy source with near-limitless applicability. Yet the task of decarbonizing power generation in-line with the United Nations’ Net Zero Coalition remains formidable.  The Hydrogen Council estimates that 75 metric tons (MT) of clean hydrogen

Global energy consumption is tricky to forecast. Worldwide demand is expected to top 660 quadrillion Btu by 2050, an increase of around 15%  from 2021–but how much of that will derive from fossil fuels versus renewable energy sources?  The World Energy Outlook estimates that as much as 66% of current energy demands are met by

Gold nanoparticles are frequently used because of their outstanding properties and their varied functionalities. Owing to their properties, they have been used in many high-end applications as coatings, which are crucial for the development of nanotechnology. This blog post will look at the specific applications of gold nanoparticle coatings and the benefits they provide.  The

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and generic Raman spectroscopy are often discussed in tandem as they share many similarities. However, SERS diverges from conventional Raman imaging in various ways, making each technique applicable in different scenarios.  We discussed the working principles of SERS in our previous article How Does Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Work? This

Sputter coating and many other deposition techniques, including PVD, have become essential tools in the research scientist’s arsenal. Modern sputter deposition systems are practically unrecognisable from their earliest counterparts, with vacuum chambers and sputtering systems now operable on the benchtop. There is often a concern that championing ease-of-usability and compactness will lead to compromises on

By exploiting the plasmonic properties of nanomaterials, surface-enhanced Raman offers a dramatic increase in sensitivity compared to conventional Raman spectroscopy, enabling the detection of analytes down to parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. We’ve used our state-of-the-art nanoparticle deposition technology to develop high-performance, low-cost substrates for surface-enhanced Raman, enabling laboratories of all sizes to achieve cheap, versatile and

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is used to detect and characterise samples. Although it was first discovered in the late 1970s for laboratory use, it has been utilised outside of labs since the advent of nanostructured substrates in the 1990s In this blog post, we will explain what SERS technology is used for alongside its benefits.

Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing scientific discipline with an ever-growing range of critical sub-fields. Thin-film engineering, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), state-of-the-art therapeutics, and so much more, are built on research and development (R&D) at the nanoscale. Novel materials are central to so many of these breakthroughs; specifically nanoparticles. Colloidal nanoparticles serve an array of functions, and

Spherical gold nanoparticles are advanced nanomaterials having diverse applications such as targeted drug delivery, radiotherapy, biological imaging, sensors, and chemical catalysis. Gold nanoparticles can be produced by either chemical methods such as aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition, hydro-thermal reduction, and microemulsion or by physical procedures such as plasma-assisted vacuum deposition, laser ablation, spray pyrolysis, and ion