Millions of tons of chicken feathers produced by the poultry industry annually pose a waste disposal problem but also offer a resource for enhancing fuel cell performance. Researchers have extracted the protein keratin from these materials and converted it into amyloid fibrils for inclusion in the semipermeable membranes of fuel cells.

Such membranes are conventionally composed of highly toxic chemicals that can now be replaced by the environmentally compatible, fowl-derived keratin. The large quantity of the bio-based material available should also translate into considerably lower costs for fuel cell component production, as only about 100 g of feathers are needed to make 1 m² of membrane.

In the process developed by researchers from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and the Paul Scherrer Institut (Switzerland), keratin is first isolated from an alkaline extract of chicken feathers. This keratin is heated and converted into protein amyloid fibrils, rope-like nanostructures made of tightly wound proteins, further processed into membranes and treated in acid. The resulting chemical reaction allows them to conduct protons and improve fuel cell performance.

When tested in a commercial fuel cell, the feather-based membrane described in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces enabled the power unit to activate an LED lamp, spin a small fan and operate a small toy car.