Silver Nanocatalysts Have a Surprising Double Life

Researchers from Seoul National University, KAIST, and KBSI showed that silver nanoparticles in solid oxide cells behave differently for electricity generation and hydrogen production: the reaction occurs at the particle-electrode boundary in the first case and on the particle surface in the second.

• For electricity generation, reaction rate increases with silver-electrode boundary length
• For hydrogen production, silver particle surface area becomes key
• Silver showed highest improvement among Ag, Co, Pd, and Pt
• Results published in Energy & Environmental Science