Palladium nanofoam
UC Davis physicists Dustin Gilbert, Kai Liu and colleagues have come up with a new method to make a nanofoam of palladium. The foamy metal could be used to store hydrogen in vehicles or for other purposes. (Image credit: Dustin Gilbert and Kai Liu, UC Davis)

New Technique Makes Light Metallic Nanofoam

  • by Becky Oskin

A simple method for manufacturing extremely low-density palladium nanofoams could help advance hydrogen storage technologies, reports a new study from researchers in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science. First introduced about 20 years ago, metallic nanofoams have potential for diverse applications. But before cars can start fueling up via nanofoam, using metallic foams on an industrial scale must overcome challenges including demanding manufacturing conditions, contamination and poor crystallinity. Read more at UC Davis News. 

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physics chemistry condensed matter UC Davis College of Letters and Science