A special platinum-based nanotechnology devised by Sandia National Laboratories has received a prestigious award, it was announced yesterday (20th July). The NanoCoral dendritic platinum nanostructures, produced by the US Department of Energy researchers, represent an innovative approach to creating platinum catalysts. They were handed a special commendation from R&D Magazine in its quest to pinpoint the 100 most outstanding advances in applied technologies over the course of the year. Energy Secretary Steven Chu paid tribute to the Sandia team, who had five entries in all on the R&D list, which is often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of technology'. He said: "The Department of Energy's national laboratories are incubators of innovation and I'm proud they are being recognised once again for their remarkable work. "The cutting-edge research and development being done in our national labs is vital to maintaining America's competitive edge, increasing our nation's energy security and protecting our environment." According to the laboratory, the technology is unique in the sense that it offers more control over all the functional properties of platinum nanostructures than alternative methodologies. The catalysts and electrocatalysts created from the process are capable of minimising the amount of platinum required, therefore bringing down the cost of crucial renewable energy developments such as fuel cells. Among the previous entries in the R&D Awards are the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the printer (1986) and the high-definition television (1998).

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