A study led by UCLA researchers could help accelerate the use of hydrogen as an environmentally friendly source of energy in transportation and other applications.The team developed a method for predicting platinum alloys’ potency and stability — two key indicators of how they will perform as catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells.Then, using that technique, they designed and produced an alloy that yielded excellent results under conditions approximating real-world use.

Figure 1: UCLA-led study could be step toward cheaper hydrogen-based energy.

Figure 1 shows thatFuel cells generate power using oxygen from the atmosphere and hydrogen. A key step in the process is using a catalyst to break the bonds between pairs of oxygen atoms.

The catalysts that work best are highly active, in order to drive the reaction, while also being stable enough to be used for long periods of time. And for those designing fuel cells, finding the best catalysts has been a major challenge. [1]

The catalysts that work best are highly active, in order to drive the reaction, while also being stable enough to be used for long periods of time. And for those designing fuel cells, finding the best catalysts has been a major challenge.

The new method predicts both the potency and the stability of platinum alloy catalysts. It was developed using a combination of experiments, complex computation and X-ray spectroscopy, which allowed the investigators to precisely identify chemical properties.[2]

Platinum is the best element for the purpose, but its rarity makes the technology prohibitively expensive for large-scale adoption. An alloy combining platinum with a more readily accessible metal or metals would reduce the cost, but there has never been a practical, real-world method for quickly screening which alloy would make the best catalyst. [3]

The researchers then created catalysts combining precise amounts of platinum, nickel and cobalt in a specific atomic structure and configuration based on their experimental measure. They showed that the alloy they designed is both highly active and highly stable, a rare but much-needed combination for fuel cell catalysts. [2]

Huang said that the method could be applied to potential catalysts mixing platinum with a subset of metals beyond nickel and cobalt.The paper’s other co-corresponding authors are chemist Qingying Jia of Northeastern University and theorist William Goddard of Caltech. [3]

References:

1. https://cnsi.ucla.edu/project/july-21-2022-ucla-led-study-could-be-step-toward-cheaper-hydrogen-based-energy/
2. https://hydrogen-central.com/ucla-study-could-step-toward-cheaper-hydrogen-based-energy/
3. https://www.myscience.org/news/2022/ucla_led_study_could_be_step_toward_cheaper_hydrogen_based_energy-2022-ucla

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), New Method to Predict Performance of Catalysts in Hydrogen-Based Energy Cells, Anatechmaz, pp. 374