Replace platinum with iron! Scientists invent low-cost hydrogen fuel cells

2024-01-15

Hydrogen fuel cells have always been an important research direction in the field of new energy, but their high cost has hindered their development. The main reason is that these cells use expensive and scarce platinum as a catalyst, and about 60% of the cost of a single fuel cell comes from platinum catalysts. Therefore, reducing costs is the key to promoting hydrogen fuel cells.

Recently, researchers from Imperial College London in the UK have developed a new type of hydrogen fuel cell, which uses a catalyst made of iron instead of platinum, greatly reducing costs and making hydrogen fuel cells possible for widespread use. The research findings have been published in the journal Nature Catalysis.

Hydrogen fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity, and the byproduct of the conversion process is water vapor, which makes them ideal green energy sources.

In the new catalyst, all iron is distributed in a single atom form in the conductive carbon matrix. All the atoms gather together, making it more reactive. These characteristics mean that iron will be a good substitute for platinum.

Dr. Assad Mahmud, a researcher at Imperial College of Technology, said, "The new method we are studying to manufacture a series of" single atom "catalysts provides more choices for a series of new chemical and electrochemical experiments.". "It is helpful for other scientists who hope to prepare such catalysts."

The research team's method can be applied not only to hydrogen fuel cells, but also to other things, such as using oxygen in the atmosphere to replace expensive chemical oxidants as reactants in chemical reactions. This greatly reduces costs while completing the required reactions.

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