(490h) Organizing Platinum Metal and Ionomer with Engineered Protein

We engineered a synthetic protein to improve catalyst utilization in electrochemical H₂ production, and demonstrated proof-of-concept that designed proteins can impact electrode structure using traditional catalyst inks. The engineered protein has multifunctional properties that arrange platinum catalyst and ionomer into a highly organized network. The resulting phase separation in Nafion® ionomer was investigated using atomic force microscopy in an ink containing engineered protein and compared to an ink without proteins. An improvement in phase separation in ionomer yields a promising model for advanced materials development for H₂ production.