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Amy Prieto is known for research into building better batteries for electric vehicles.
Now, the CSU chemistry professor is tackling another alternative energy problem – storing clean-burning hydrogen fuel.
Prieto, a Monfort professor, and her team are researching better ways to store the permeable gas, which has long been viewed as a potential replacement for petroleum-based transportation fuels.
“Hydrogen is a very promising fuel. It has a lot of energy and when you burn it the only byproduct is water vapor,” Prieto said.
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What: Monfort Professor Lecture
When: 4 p.m. October 30
Where: W118, Anatomy/Zoology
Who: Amy Prieto, a CSU chemistry professor, will present a talk entitled “Smaller is faster, but why? A story about hydrogen storage materials.”
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“One of the problems with it though is storage. Right now, there aren’t any ways that are cheap, occupy a small volume, and fast to both store and release the hydrogen under ambient conditions.”
Prieto believes the answer may lie in small bits of magnesium.
She and her team have spent the past couple of years experimenting with storing hydrogen as a solid in magnesium-based nanoparticles.
“We have some promising results,” she said.
Prieto ramped up her hydrogen project in 2013 after being named a Colorado State University Monfort Professor – one of the university’s highest honors
Monfort professors receive $75,000 a year for two years to support research projects and teaching efforts. The award was established in 2002 through a gift from the Monfort Family Foundation.
Prieto is using that money to support this new line of research.
“It is an incredible luxury to receive this kind of award,” she said. “It gives you a freedom to try new research and branch out.”
Prieto will present on the project at 4 p.m. October 30 in room W118 of the Anatomy/Zoology Building. The title of her Monfort Professor Lecture is “Smaller is faster, but why? A story about hydrogen storage materials.”
