New Iron Catalyst Can Make Hydrogen Fuel Cells Affordable

For decades, scientists have been seeking a catalyst that dramatically lowers the price of fabricating hydrogen fuel cells.

Such an advance could trigger a green power transformation, with everything from laptops to locomotives running on a fuel whose merely byproduct is water.

A new study led by the University at Buffalo indicates that analysts are transferring closer to that goal.

In research published Thursday (July 7) in Nature Energy, researchers describe how iron can be joined with nitrogen and carbon to produce a catalyst that is effective, durable and affordable– the three principal purposes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has detected for fuel cell research study.

“This has been years in the making,” mentions the study’s lead creator Gang Wu, Ph.D., lecturer of chemical and biological engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “We strongly believe this is a considerable advancement that will ultimately help unleash the remarkable capacity of hydrogen fuel cells.”

The promise of fuel cells

Fuel cells function like batteries. However, according to DOE, they do not run out of power or need reenergizing. They manufacture electricity and warmth as long as fuel– such as hydrogen— is provided.

They have long tantalized researchers, environmentalists, and others because they have lower or zero discharges than combustion engines. Furthermore, they can be used in many applications, giving power to vehicles, power plants, buildings, and other systems.

However, fuel cells are not extensively commercialized because, among other things, they require high-priced catalysts, which accelerate essential fuel cell reactions.

The most effective catalysts have been a family of six precious metals– called platinum-group metals. At the same time, efficient and long-lasting, these metals are costly because they are very unique. As a result, researchers are looking for less pricey choices.

Overcoming obstacles

One such choice has been iron-based catalysts. Iron is appealing because it is abundant and affordable. However, it does not execute as well as platinum because it lacks the toughness to endure the highly corrosive and oxidative environments inside fuel cells.

The research group adhered four nitrogen atoms to the iron to conquer this barrier. Researchers then installed the material in a few graphene layers “with exact atomic control of regional geometric and chemical structures,” Wu says.

The resulting structure is a largely improved catalyst. For example, the research study team reported the catalyst:

It is believed to be the most reliable iron-based catalyst manufactured to date, exceeding the DOE’s 2025 target for electric current density.

Achieved a sturdiness rating that approaches platinum team catalysts.
Wu says that the iron-based catalyst’s potential to make fuel cells, particularly hydrogen fuel cells, much more inexpensive for commercial usage. Researchers intend follow-up research to improve the catalyst further.

Shengwen Liu et al, Atomically dispersed iron sites with a nitrogen–carbon coating as highly active and durable oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells, Nature Energy (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-022-01062-1

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