IMDEA Materials Institute develops catalyst reducing platinum use by 75%

Researchers at the IMDEA Materials Institute have developed a new copper-platinum alloy catalyst that reduces platinum usage by 75% while maintaining performance levels comparable to pure platinum. This breakthrough, published in the journal ‘Electrochimica Acta’, addresses a major cost barrier in the production of hydrogen fuel cells.

The team utilized a technique known as elastic strain engineering. By applying a mechanical compression of less than 1% to a Cu₃Pt alloy using a nickel-titanium shape-memory material, they successfully altered the material's electronic structure. This modification enhances the catalyst's ability to facilitate the oxygen reduction reaction, which is typically a slow step in fuel cell electricity generation.

Additionally, the researchers observed a ‘chemical self-organization’ process during electrochemical reactions, where copper selectively dissolves from the surface to create a platinum-rich layer only a few nanometers thick. This dual strategy of mechanical compression and chemical restructuring allows for significantly lower precious metal requirements without sacrificing catalytic efficiency.