New Graphene Catalyst From China Slashes Platinum Use in Green Hydrogen Production

Researchers in China have just made a big leap forward in green hydrogen production. A team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) and the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has cooked up a cutting-edge graphene-encased CoNi nano-alloy catalyst that could seriously shake up the way we think about PEM electrolysis.

Making Hydrogen Clean — and Cheaper

Under the leadership of Prof. Dehui Deng and Prof. Liang Yu, the researchers figured out a way to stabilize single platinum atoms using an asymmetric π-electronic interface on graphene. What does that mean? In simple terms—they’ve made it possible to use way less platinum (which is super expensive) while still keeping hydrogen generation running at high efficiency.

High Performance with Barely Any Platinum

How much platinum did they actually use? Just 1.2 μgPt/cm². That’s incredibly low, especially considering they kept the system running smoothly for over 1,000 hours. To put their work to the test, the team built a 2.85 kW PEM electrolyzer, and it held up like a champ—proving that this isn’t just some lab experiment. It could actually work at scale in real-world industry settings.

A Boost for the Hydrogen Economy

This kind of breakthrough could be a game changer for the future of sustainable energy. By making PEM electrolysis more cost-effective and scalable, there’s real potential here to speed up the shift towards a stronger hydrogen economy. That’s less reliance on fossil fuels, and more momentum for clean, green alternatives.

The research was recently published in Joule, and it’s safe to say it’s turning heads in the world of hydrogen fuel cells and clean tech innovation.

Source: Joule