Nature‐Inspired Multifunctional Nano‐Microreactors: Pd Nanoclusters‐Integrated Bioengineered Skin Channels for Effectively Overcoming Product Inhibition and Hydrogen Adherence Challenges During Hydrogen Production

Nature-inspired design principles offer powerful strategies for engineering advanced catalytic materials with multifunctional microenvironment proximal to active sites. Here, bioengineered multifunctional skin nano-microchannels (N─MCs) integrated with Pd nanoclusters (Pd/N─MCs) are presented for the first time for remarkably preventing challenges of product inhibition and hydrogen adherence during its generation from ammonia borane (AB). Pd/N─MCs, with its peculiar mechanism of action, differentiate it from all the reported catalytic systems till date, which are known to be affected/deactivated by product inhibition and hydrogen adherence. The N─MCs feature a unique hydrophilic-aerophobic environment and tunable surface chemistry, effectively mitigating product inhibition and hydrogen bubble adherence during its performance. The lysyl-rich matrix of hierarchically-assembled collagen facilitates AB uptake and activation at Pd sites, while promoting borate desorption to sustain high catalytic turnover. The aqueous microchannels, with a hydrogen bubble contact angle of ≈153°, destabilize generated hydrogen gas bubbles and facilitate their release. Additionally, exhaustive methylation of lysyl amino groups results in positively charged [Pd/N─MCs]⁺, enhancing microenvironment polarity and achieving a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 3589 h<sup>-1</sup>. This nature-inspired platform bridges biological precision with materials science, providing a scalable and sustainable strategy for multifunctional nano-microreactors and advancing nature-inspired systems for efficient hydrogen production.

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Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2025-09-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202507222
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Hydrogen Storage and Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.52
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article

Nature‐Inspired Multifunctional Nano‐Microreactors: Pd Nanoclusters‐Integrated Bioengineered Skin Channels for Effectively Overcoming Product Inhibition and Hydrogen Adherence Challenges During Hydrogen Production

Rajani Kumar Borah, Ansari Palliyarayil, Amit Ashok Vernekar
1 citations
Small
Hydrogen Storage and Materials
0.52
article

Nature‐Inspired Multifunctional Nano‐Microreactors: Pd Nanoclusters‐Integrated Bioengineered Skin Channels for Effectively Overcoming Product Inhibition and Hydrogen Adherence Challenges During Hydrogen Production

Rajani Kumar Borah, Ansari Palliyarayil, Amit Ashok Vernekar
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Nature-inspired design principles offer powerful strategies for engineering advanced catalytic materials with multifunctional microenvironment proximal to active sites. Here, bioengineered multifunctional skin nano-microchannels (N─MCs) integrated with Pd nanoclusters (Pd/N─MCs) are presented for the first time for remarkably preventing challenges of product inhibition and hydrogen adherence during its generation from ammonia borane (AB). Pd/N─MCs, with its peculiar mechanism of action, differentiate it from all the reported catalytic systems till date, which are known to be affected/deactivated by product inhibition and hydrogen adherence. The N─MCs feature a unique hydrophilic-aerophobic environment and tunable surface chemistry, effectively mitigating product inhibition and hydrogen bubble adherence during its performance. The lysyl-rich matrix of hierarchically-assembled collagen facilitates AB uptake and activation at Pd sites, while promoting borate desorption to sustain high catalytic turnover. The aqueous microchannels, with a hydrogen bubble contact angle of ≈153°, destabilize generated hydrogen gas bubbles and facilitate their release. Additionally, exhaustive methylation of lysyl amino groups results in positively charged [Pd/N─MCs]⁺, enhancing microenvironment polarity and achieving a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 3589 h<sup>-1</sup>. This nature-inspired platform bridges biological precision with materials science, providing a scalable and sustainable strategy for multifunctional nano-microreactors and advancing nature-inspired systems for efficient hydrogen production.

SmallVol. 21(45)
Central Leather Research Institute (IN), Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (IN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 33%
Hydrogen Storage and Materials
0.52
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Nature‐Inspired Multifunctional Nano‐Microreactors: Pd Nanoclusters‐Integrated Bioengineered Skin Channels for Effectively Overcoming Product Inhibition and Hydrogen Adherence Challenges During Hydrogen Production — Rajani Kumar Borah, Ansari Palliyarayil, et al. · Small (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS