Coffee experiment prompts method for accelerating aluminium–water reaction in seawater

Adding small amounts of imidazole can accelerate the aluminium–water reaction in seawater, enabling hydrogen to be produced at a faster rate. The method, developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, also enables the retrieval and reuse of over 90% of the costly gallium–indium metal alloy used to enhance the reactivity of aluminium in water.