Researchers advance hydrogen fuel cell technology with new catalyst coatings

Researchers are developing new methods to improve the durability and cost-efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells through advanced catalyst technologies.

A team at Nagoya University has created a protective coating to extend the lifespan of platinum particles within fuel cells. By wrapping platinum in thin layers of nitrogen-containing graphene and supporting them on corrosion-resistant carbon tubes, the researchers maintained nearly all available platinum surface area after 30,000 voltage changes. This addresses the issue of platinum particles clumping together, which typically reduces performance over time.

In a separate development, a collaborative research team involving Tohoku University, the Technion, Hokkaido University, and AZUL Energy, Inc. has developed platinum-free catalysts using carbon-supported blue pigments. These metal phthalocyanine-based catalysts, specifically iron tetra-azaphthalocyanines, were designed for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). The team achieved a power density exceeding 900 milliwatts per square centimeter, marking a significant performance milestone for platinum-free alternatives.