NUS Technologies on Offer

INTRO manages a portfolio of 140 technologies invented at NUS. These are in the engineering, physical sciences, information technology and life science areas, and are available for companies to license.

These NUS technologies may be viewed at www.nus.edu.sg/intro/ind_techonoffer.shtml

Parties interested in exploring licensing opportunities with NUS are invited to contact INTRO at intquery@nus.edu.sg

In conjunction with the focus of this issue on hydrogen technology, we are pleased to highlight a number of hydrogen-related technologies developed at NUS. These are summaries of the actual technology offers. Please refer to www.nus.edu.sg/intro/ind_techonoffer.shtml for more details on each technology:

Method of Reversibly Storing Hydrogen and Hydrogen-storage System based on Metal-doped Carbon-based Materials
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chen, Ping

The National University of Singapore has developed a method of reversibly storing hydrogen comprising exposing a solid sorbent of metal-doped carbon-based material to a hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature of about 250 K to about 973 K under ambient or higher pressure.

This method increases the hydrogen storage capacity of a solid sorbent compared to prior storage systems, and also provides for hydrogen storage under practical conditions. A means to economically make an efficient sorbent is also provided.

This invention is useful for applications such as the hydrogen based fuel cell which is being developed as a power source for automobiles and other devices.

Method for Alkali Hydride Formation and Materials for Hydrogen Storage
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chen, Ping

The National University of Singapore has developed a method of forming an alkali metal-carbon compound comprising mixing carbon with an alkali metal. Such alkali metal-carbon compounds absorb hydrogen at lower temperatures and are hence useful as hydrogen storing materials.

This method is useful for producing hydrogen storage materials that have many applications, for example in the hydrogen based fuel cell.

Method for Reversible Storage of Hydrogen and Materials for Hydrogen Storage
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chen, Ping

Metal-nitrogen-based or metalloid-nitrogen-based compounds exhibit remarkable hydrogen storage capacity at lower temperatures and/or pressures than prior art systems. This non-cryogenic hydrogen storage is reversible, so the materials are candidates for hydrogen sources in a variety of applications. The metal-nitrogen-based compounds can be mixed with hydrides, carbon material or metal (or metalloid) dopants, which can lead to physical mixtures or new compounds which are effective for the absorption and desorption of hydrogen.

This method is useful for producing hydrogen storage materials that have many applications, for example in the hydrogen based fuel cell.

Method for Hydrogen Production
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chen, Ping

The National University of Singapore has developed a new route for the production of hydrogen via water and preformed carbon materials at a relatively low temperature. The preformed carbon materials comprise carbon nanotubes or nanofibers bonded to a transition metal and are obtained by the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons in a reductive atmosphere in the presence of the transition metal catalyst. This method for hydrogen production is relatively more efficient and less costly than current methods.

With hydrogen being one of the most promising new energy sources, this method is useful for applications such as the hydrogen based fuel cell which is being developed as a power source for automobiles and other devices.

Carbon Nanotubes Fabrication and Hydrogen Production
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chen, Ping

The National University of Singapore has developed a method of producing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) by catalytic decomposition of gaseous carbon-containing compounds over a transition metal-based catalyst. In this invention, a large amount of hydrogen gas is produced in the process of carbon nanotube synthesis. If the transition metal catalysts used are pre-reduced by hydrogen, no oxygen-containing compounds are produced, and the resulting oxygen-free hydrocarbon gas can be used as a feedgas for obtaining hydrogen. The hydrogen gas obtained will contain less than 20ppm of carbon monoxide, which is of a purity suitable for use in proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells.

Carbon nanotubes have many applications such as use in nanoscale electrical or electronic devices and hydrogen storage. This technology is useful for large-scale industrial production of carbon nanotubes, and also has applications in hydrogen production for hydrogen based fuel cells.

Large-Scale Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes by Group VIII B Catalysts Promoted by Group VI B Metals
Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Lin, Jianyi

The National University of Singapore has developed a method of synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). This method comprises contacting a carbon-containing material with a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal from a Group VIII B and at least one transition metal from Group VI B. The synthesis can be done in either a single step or a two-step process. The presence of the Group VIB metal promoter remarkably increases the yield and improves the quality of the SWNTs obtained. It has also been observed that the generation rate of SWNTs is improved and the formation of amorphous carbon is suppressed. The present synthesis route is estimated to reduce the cost of production and is likely to be the most economical way to synthesize single-walled carbon nanotubes on a large scale.

SWNTs have many applications such as in molecular electronic devices, high strength composite materials, and hydrogen storage.