Stronger cobalt for fuel cells
PNNL leads effort to improve reaction activity, increase durability of cobalt as a fuel cell catalyst
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
By Mary Ann Showalter
A multi-institutional research team led by materials scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has designed a highly active and durable catalyst that doesn t rely on costly platinum to spur the necessary chemical reaction.
The new catalyst contains cobalt interspersed with nitrogen and carbon. When compared to a similarly structured catalyst made from iron another promising, well-studied platinum substitute, the team found that the cobalt catalyst achieved a similar reaction but with four times the durability.