New water splitting catalyst makes green hydrogen without expensive metals [View all]

A 3D render simulating different layers, which is reminiscent of an electrolyzer. Credit: Milad Fakurian for Unsplash

New water splitting catalyst makes green hydrogen without expensive metals

ANEMEL | Techxplore.com | JANUARY 28, 2025

ANEMEL researchers have created a catalyst for water splitting that's efficient and stable, without relying on scarce platinum group metals (PGMs). The study, recently published in Energy & Environmental Science, reports a high-performance PGM-free catalyst for the cathode in water electrolysis, responsible for the reaction that creates green hydrogen.

Current anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolyzers rely on PGMs, which are scarce and expensive. Specifically, these metals are used as catalysts at the cathode, where hydrogen is generated. However, ANEMEL AEM electrolyzers avoid PGMs, opting instead for more abundant metals such as nickel. This is essential to enable the wide adoption of electrolyzers: it helps to decrease the cost of electrolyzer components and improve their recyclability, reducing waste and providing a competitive advantage.

This requires investigating innovative ways to ensure electrolyzers perform at least as well, if not better than, those made with PGMs. After all, platinum and other metals in this group offer excellent activity and stability, especially at high current densities in electrolyzer environments, something PGM-free catalysts still don't.


SEM images of the platinum-free catalysts that accelerate water splitting. Credit: Royal Society of Chemistry

To understand the achievement, the researchers define two concepts: self-supported catalyst and electrodeposition. A self-supported catalyst is a type of catalyst formed by growing it directly on a support, known as a gas diffusion layer (GDL). The GDL allows gases to diffuse while providing a conductive pathway and can be made of various materials. These include carbon paper, and nickel foam, felt and mesh..more
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