Key Findings
A joint research team led by the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has synthesized a next-generation catalyst that reduces platinum (Pt) consumption by 63% compared to conventional commercial catalysts. When applied to a proton exchange membrane water electrolysis device, the catalyst operated stably for 500 hours. Notably, the rate of voltage increase—a primary indicator of performance degradation—was reduced to approximately one-quarter of the rate seen in commercial alternatives.
Technical Details
The team employed a “reticular coordination” strategy to overcome the limitations of single-atom catalysts, which typically require platinum content to remain below 1% to prevent atomic clustering. The process involves the following steps:
- Pre-design: Using metal-organic frameworks to fix individual platinum atoms into a cerium-oxygen lattice.
- Conversion: Applying heat treatment to convert the structure into ceria (cerium oxide).
- Composition: This method resulted in a high-density catalyst with 14.9% platinum content dispersed at the atomic level.
The catalyst demonstrated high thermal stability, suppressing particle growth even after treatment at 300 to 500 degrees Celsius in a hydrogen environment, due to strong bonding between the platinum and the ceria substrate.
Background and Context
Platinum is essential for hydrogen production and automotive exhaust purification due to its high performance, but its high cost limits economic viability. While single-atom catalysts aim to reduce costs, increasing the metal content usually leads to clustering, which degrades both stability and efficiency.
Significance and Outlook
The research, published in Nature Synthesis on October 22, suggests applications beyond hydrogen production, including chemical feedstock production and automotive exhaust purification. The team plans to apply this synthesis strategy to other precious metals, such as rhodium and iridium, and test its efficacy in high-temperature environments like three-way catalytic converters and dry methane reforming.
Source: https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10922985
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