1g Delivers the Effect of 82g... Single-Atom Platinum Catalyst Dramatically Reduces Hydrogen Production Costs [Reading Science]

Identification of the Platinum Atom Aggregation "Threshold"
Breakthrough in Single-Atom Catalyst Performance Limits

A domestic research team has developed an "extreme catalyst technology" that enables 100% utilization of every single, expensive platinum (Pt) atom in hydrogen production reactions without any waste. This achievement precisely identified and controlled atomic-level aggregation phenomena-an instinctive tendency in nature-at the atomic scale.

The National Research Foundation of Korea announced that a research team led by Professor Sungjoo Yoo from the Department of Chemistry at Ajou University has succeeded in developing a technology that stably maintains platinum atoms, which determine the performance of hydrogen production catalysts, in a single-atom state without agglomeration, thereby boosting catalytic efficiency to its theoretical limit.

A conceptual diagram showing the difference in hydrogen production according to the structural stability of platinum (Pt) atoms. When the Pt atom density exceeds a critical threshold, atomic migration and aggregation are promoted, forming clusters or nanoparticles and resulting in decreased catalytic performance (left image). In contrast, spatially well-separated Pt atoms do not aggregate during the reaction and efficiently interact with activated electrons, leading to rapid hydrogen production (right image). Provided by Professor Sungjoo Yoo, Ajou University

Traditional platinum catalysts have been widely used in nanoparticle form, but atoms located inside the particles do not actually participate in chemical reactions, resulting in low efficiency and high consumption of costly platinum. While dispersing platinum at the single-atom level could maximize efficiency by involving every atom in the reaction, the inherent instability of platinum atoms causes them to re-aggregate, leading to a rapid decline in performance.

To address this, the research team identified the structural critical point at which platinum atoms begin to aggregate under actual hydrogen production reaction conditions. Through experiments and theoretical modeling, they found that once this threshold is exceeded, the number of single-atom active sites decreases exponentially, causing a sharp drop in catalytic performance.

Extreme design utilizing every atom... 1g achieves the effect of 82g

Based on this analysis, the researchers derived optimal design conditions that allow platinum atoms to remain in a single-atom state to the end. Using a simple synthesis method involving the mixing of precursor solutions and heat treatment at room temperature-without complex processes-they produced a high-performance catalyst.

As a result, the newly developed catalyst demonstrated hydrogen production capability equivalent to 82 grams of conventional nanoparticle platinum catalyst using just 1 gram of platinum. This marks a dramatic improvement in activity per unit mass of catalyst, indicating that hydrogen production costs can be significantly reduced with minimal platinum usage.

Electron microscope image of single-atom platinum (Pt) particles. The bright contrast points indicated by arrows represent platinum (Pt) atoms evenly dispersed one by one on the support surface, confirming that the platinum is stably dispersed without agglomeration. Provided by Professor Seongju Yoo, Ajou University

Furthermore, even during prolonged continuous operation tests, the catalyst maintained its initial performance without any loss of active sites or structural collapse, thus ensuring the durability required for commercialization. The research team expects this will help reduce both the initial investment and operating costs of green hydrogen production facilities.

Professor Sungjoo Yoo stated, "This study identifies the cause of catalyst performance degradation at the atomic level and presents the simplest yet most fundamental solution strategy. By maximizing the utilization of expensive precious metals, we can contribute to cost reduction in various eco-friendly energy processes."

This research was published online on December 17, 2025, in the top-tier international chemistry journal "Angewandte Chemie International Edition" under the title "Stability Thresholds of Atomically Dispersed Platinum Catalysts for Solar Hydrogen Production."

This study was supported by the Excellent Young Researchers Program, the G-Ramp Project, the Autonomous Operation Key Research Institute Support Program promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Korea Institute of Advanced Technology.