Abstract: A fuel cell having: a proton exchange membrane; anode and cathode housings containing chambers; a three-dimensional anode and cathode. Each housing may have a feed passage, a waste passage, and two through passages. The anode feed passage and the anode waste passage are each coupled to the anode chamber and to one of the cathode through passages and vice versa. The anode chamber may have bacteria capable of donating electrons to the anode upon exposure to a fuel. Solutions may be circulated through the passages and chambers.

Abstract: A photoelectrode is disclosed having a conductive lead and a titania aerogel in electrical contact with the lead. The aerogel is coated with a photosensitive dye. The photoelectrode may be made by forming a film of a titania aerogel paste on a conductive substrate and coating the film with a dye.

Abstract: Gold-titania (Au—TiO2) composite aerogels and ambigles were synthesized, characterized, and tested as ambient temperature catalysts for carbon monoxide. Adding alkanethiolate-monolayers-protected gold clusters (with ˜2 nm Au cores) directly to titania sol before gelation yields uniformly dispersed guests in the composite aerogel. The Au guests aggregate to 5 to 10 nm upon calcination to remove alkanethiolate and crystallize amorphous titania to anatase. The resulting composite aerogel exhibits high catalytic activity toward CO oxidation at room temperature at Au particle sizes that are essentially inactive in prior Au—TiO2 catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy illustrates the three-dimensional nature of the catalytic nanoarchitecture in which gold guests contact multiple anatase nanocrystallites.

Abstract: This disclosure describes the first viable non-enzyme protein encapsulated within an aerogel. In this, a large excess of cyt c is added to a commercial buffered Au sol solution ( ) which results in the formation of a gold˜protein-protein superstructure in the absence of separation techniques which destroy the superstructure. The gold˜protein-protein superstructure is then nanoglued into a silica framework during the sol to gel transition. To form the gel, the Au˜cyt. c superstructure in buffered medium is added to a silica sol and the composite gels are washed with acetone followed by liquid carbon dioxide and then supercritically dried to form the aerogel. The biocomposite aerogels have a multiplicity of applications particularly in the realm of sensing and energy transformation.

Abstract: Gold—titania (Au—TiO2) composite aerogels and ambigles were synthesized, characterized, and tested as ambient temperature catalysts for carbon monoxide. Adding alkanethiolate-monolayers-protected gold clusters (with ˜2 nm Au cores) directly to titania sol before gelation yields uniformly dispersed guests in the composite aerogel. The Au guests aggregate to 5 to 10 nm upon calcination to remove alkanethiolate and crystallize amorphous titania to anatase. The resulting composite aerogel exhibits high catalytic activity toward CO oxidation at room temperature at Au particle sizes that are essentially inactive in prior Au—TiO2 catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy illustrates the three-dimensional nature of the catalytic nanoarchitecture in which gold guests contact multiple anatase nanocrystallites.