Washington University researchers develop durable hydrogen fuel cell catalyst

Researchers led by Gang Wu at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new catalyst architecture designed to improve the efficiency and durability of low-temperature hydrogen fuel cells. The team utilized a specialized carbon support consisting of porous, hollow spheres with radial nanochannels to anchor platinum-cobalt nanoparticles. This structure prevents the nanoparticles from dissolving or clumping during operation, a common issue that degrades performance.

In testing, the new catalyst maintained 85% of its performance after 150,000 voltage cycles, which is approximately 25,000 hours of operation. The design allows for the use of high temperatures up to 1000°C during synthesis to create stable intermetallic structures, whereas standard methods are limited to below 700°C. This breakthrough aims to reduce the reliance on expensive platinum while maintaining high catalytic activity.

The development could address growing energy demands, particularly in sectors like data centers. As data centers are projected to account for up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030, efficient fuel cells could allow these facilities to generate their own electricity from hydrogen, reducing the overall burden on the national energy grid.