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Ionic liquid improves speed and efficiency of hydrogen-producing catalyst - The design of a nature-inspired material that can make energy-storing hydrogen gas has gone holistic. Usually, tweaking the design of this particular catalyst -- a work in progress for cheaper, better fuel cells -- results in either faster or more energy efficient production but not both. Now, researchers have found a condition that creates hydrogen faster without a loss in efficiency. Reference: D. H. Pool et al, 'An Acidic Ionic Liquid/Water Solution as Both Medium and Proton Source for Electrocatalytic H2 Evolution by [Ni(P2N2)2]2+ Complexes,' Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Early Edition online June 8 2012, DOI 10.1073/pnas.1120208109.(http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/06/07/1120208109).