<p>Bengaluru: Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru have developed a new alloy-based catalyst that makes hydrogen production more efficient and affordable. </p>.<p>This discovery could help reduce dependence on expensive materials like platinum, bringing us closer to cleaner energy solutions. </p>.<p>Hydrogen is a promising clean fuel that can be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, a process called electrolysis. However, current methods rely on costly catalysts, such as pure platinum, to speed up this reaction.</p>.Karnataka approves clean air action plan to combat rising pollution.<p>Researchers have been searching for cheaper and more efficient alternatives. </p>.<p>Traditional alloys contain two or more, with one being dominant. High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are different — they consist of five or more elements in almost equal amounts. This unique composition makes them highly stable and efficient for various applications, including hydrogen production. However, creating pure HEA nanoparticles without impurities is a significant challenge. </p>.<p>A team of scientists at CeNS, in collaboration with Prashant Singh from Ames National Laboratory, US, developed a novel HEA catalyst consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn). </p>.<p>Researchers used two different methods to create the HEA: Electrodeposition — a room-temperature process similar to electroplating method; and Solvothermal Synthesis — a method of producing chemical compounds, in which a solvent, containing chemical agents, is put under high pressure and temperature in an autoclave. </p>.<p>The new HEA catalyst uses seven times less platinum than traditional catalysts, provides higher efficiency than pure platinum, works well in alkaline seawater conditions, and stays stable for over 100 hours without degrading. </p>.<p>Ashutosh K Singh, the corresponding author of the work and scientist at CeNS, said that through the electrodeposition method, the cost of the new catalyst could fall to 20% of the cost of conventional catalysts. </p>.<p>"The electrodeposition method is also friendly for scaling up for industrial applications and we have produced a pure sample of this alloy. The next step is to scale up the tech and use it in a hydrogen fuel cell,” Singh added. </p>.<p>This research was funded by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) which is administered by the Department of Science and Technology. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru have developed a new alloy-based catalyst that makes hydrogen production more efficient and affordable. </p>.<p>This discovery could help reduce dependence on expensive materials like platinum, bringing us closer to cleaner energy solutions. </p>.<p>Hydrogen is a promising clean fuel that can be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, a process called electrolysis. However, current methods rely on costly catalysts, such as pure platinum, to speed up this reaction.</p>.Karnataka approves clean air action plan to combat rising pollution.<p>Researchers have been searching for cheaper and more efficient alternatives. </p>.<p>Traditional alloys contain two or more, with one being dominant. High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are different — they consist of five or more elements in almost equal amounts. This unique composition makes them highly stable and efficient for various applications, including hydrogen production. However, creating pure HEA nanoparticles without impurities is a significant challenge. </p>.<p>A team of scientists at CeNS, in collaboration with Prashant Singh from Ames National Laboratory, US, developed a novel HEA catalyst consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn). </p>.<p>Researchers used two different methods to create the HEA: Electrodeposition — a room-temperature process similar to electroplating method; and Solvothermal Synthesis — a method of producing chemical compounds, in which a solvent, containing chemical agents, is put under high pressure and temperature in an autoclave. </p>.<p>The new HEA catalyst uses seven times less platinum than traditional catalysts, provides higher efficiency than pure platinum, works well in alkaline seawater conditions, and stays stable for over 100 hours without degrading. </p>.<p>Ashutosh K Singh, the corresponding author of the work and scientist at CeNS, said that through the electrodeposition method, the cost of the new catalyst could fall to 20% of the cost of conventional catalysts. </p>.<p>"The electrodeposition method is also friendly for scaling up for industrial applications and we have produced a pure sample of this alloy. The next step is to scale up the tech and use it in a hydrogen fuel cell,” Singh added. </p>.<p>This research was funded by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) which is administered by the Department of Science and Technology. </p>