Smarter catalysts huge energy upside

🌍A step closer to cleaner, more affordable energy!

Fuel cells hold huge promise for a zero-emission future, but they’ve been stuck with one big drawback - the need for expensive platinum-based catalysts to power the oxygen reduction reaction.

In new research, Prof. Lior Elbaz and Hadas Klein take inspiration from nature to tackle this problem. They focus on dual atom catalysts (DACs), pairs of metal atoms working together at the atomic scale. This setup can “break” the usual limits that single-atom catalysts face, boosting efficiency while cutting reliance on precious metals.

The study doesn’t just outline what works; it also calls out what’s controversial or misleading in the field, paving the way for truly effective DAC designs. By setting a sharper standard for catalyst design, this research could help make fuel cells cleaner, more affordable, and ready for large-scale adoption- a win for the hydrogen economy and for the planet.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.5c00922