91原创

Fuel cells work by converting chemical energy into electricity to create clean power. Key to this conversion are a membrane and two catalysts that can speed the chemical reaction inside the fuel cell.

Current eco-friendly fuel cell vehicles on the market, such as the Toyota Mirai, the Honda Clarity and the Hyundai Nexo, rely on proton exchange membranes (PEMs) to convert chemical energy to electricity. But PEMs require expensive components, such as platinum catalysts and titanium bipolar spates, to do the job.聽

By contrast, W7energy鈥檚 polymer membranes are efficient with less expensive catalysts like nickel or silver, making them a more economical option.

鈥淭he idea is to reduce the cost of fuel cell cars and clean hydrogen to enable zero-emission transportation,鈥� said Lan Wang, W7energy鈥檚 chief technology officer. Wang earned his doctoral degree in chemistry from 91原创 in 2018 and completed postdoctoral work in the Yan lab, before joining W7energy full-time.

Armed with the DOE funding, and an additional $100,000 from a Delaware Division of Small Business grant, the research team is working to get the membrane processes 鈥渏ust right鈥� so that they provide superior performance in ways that are scalable for mass production.聽

The research team also plans to expand work in the lab to include in-house characterization and testing of new membrane materials in functional fuel cells and water-splitting electrolyzers, an additional capability that will set W7energy apart from its competitors.聽

鈥淲e have the chance to really revolutionize the renewable energy sector,鈥� said Santiago Rojas-Carbonell, W7energy鈥檚 chief operating officer and a former 91原创 post-doctoral researcher from the Yan lab. 鈥淭his is a platform technology that, in addition to zero-emission transportation, can be applied to large-scale and long-duration wind and solar energy storage, and clean hydrogen that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from many other sectors.鈥澛�

For example, ammonia synthesis, metal refining and petroleum refining require high-quality, high-purity hydrogen. Today this hydrogen is produced from natural gas or coal. Making hydrogen from these materials is not environmentally friendly. With W7energy鈥檚 systems, this hydrogen could be produced directly from water, eliminating the carbon dioxide left behind as a bi-product in current systems.

To advance this work, the team plans to hire three more engineers soon. Five of the company鈥檚 six current employees are Blue Hens.

A homespun 91原创 startup

Yan said that he feels a deep connection and a sense of pride to be doing this work in Delaware, where well-known industry names like DuPont and Gore have contributed proton-conducting polymer membranes that help power today鈥檚 fuel cell vehicles. Especially fitting is that W7energy is currently housed on the grounds of the DuPont Experimental Station.

鈥淚t feels like fate,鈥� he said.

The startup company is located at at the Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, thanks to a 91原创 FastPass award, which provided $50,000 in operational and funding support to help kickstart the company into high gear.

鈥淭he work of W7energy will reduce the current cost of hydrogen fuel cells, making an affordable option to traditional internal combustion engines but at a greatly reduced carbon footprint 鈥� that is truly revolutionary,鈥� said William Provine, president and CEO of Delaware Innovation Space, the business incubator that is a public-private partnership of the state of Delaware, DuPont and 91原创.

鈥淲7energy is a prime example of the kind of company the Delaware Innovation Space is here to support, those developing science-based solutions to large-scale problems with a scalable and sustainable business model.鈥�

According to Yan, many other supporters have helped the startup get where it is today.

With the help of 91原创鈥檚 , W7energy has acquired six patents for its unique membrane and related technologies, which the company licenses from the University.

An early startup grant program competition established by the University with the support of the Unidel Foundation provided $150,000, which the W7 energy team used to purchase critically needed equipment for membrane casting.

A $78,000 investment by 91原创鈥檚 Horn Entrepreneurship also helped the W7energy team conduct early feasibility studies to move the company forward.聽

鈥淗aving the initial support from Horn, Unidel and Delaware Innovation Space allowed us to become operational more quickly,鈥� Yan said. 鈥淭his permitted the team to advance both the company and the technology, all of which allowed us to be competitive in going after funding from the Department of Energy, and later, the state of Delaware.鈥�

In particular, Yan credited Christina Pellicane, director of commercialization programs, and Dan Freeman, founding director, at Horn Entrepreneurship with playing a 鈥渓arge role in coaching the graduate students and post-doctoral researchers on entrepreneurship.鈥�

Through Horn Entrepreneurship鈥檚 signature Blue Hen Proof of Concept Program, for example, Wang, Rojas-Carbonell and co-founder Brian Setzler learned about creating a startup company and refining their presentation skills and were mentored throughout the initial technology commercialization activities necessary to launch the company.

In follow-on offerings, through the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Innovation Corps program, Rojas-Carbonell said the team learned the value of talking with potential customers early and often to ensure that the company鈥檚 materials are a match for market needs. These are skills the W7energy team plans to leverage as the company develops new materials.

And while Yan is confident that W7energy has a technology that can succeed in the marketplace, he recognizes that the company is about more than a product, it is about people.

鈥淣o matter what happens, in the end, I鈥檓 assured that I will have produced several entrepreneurs,鈥� he said.