Longer-Lasting, Higher-Performing... Korea University Presents Next-Generation Hydrogen Fuel Cell Catalyst Solution [Reading Science]

Overcoming the Limitations of the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Simultaneous Improvement of Performance and Durability Under High-Load Conditions

A next-generation platinum catalyst that overcomes both the performance degradation and durability limitations of hydrogen fuel cells has been developed by a team of Korean researchers. On January 14, Professor Kwangryul Lee's research team from the Department of Chemistry at Korea University announced that, in collaboration with Dr. Seongjong Yoo's team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Professor Sangwook Lee's team at Sungkyunkwan University, they have developed a platinum-based catalyst that simultaneously enhances both performance and durability in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is a key process in hydrogen fuel cells.

This research achievement was published online in the international journal Advanced Materials in the field of materials and energy on January 6. The title of the paper is "Tailoring Interfacial Oxygen Vacancy-Mediated Ordering in Ternary Pt₃(Co,Mn)₁ Intermetallic Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction."

A schematic illustration of the formation and operating principle of the catalyst developed in this study. The left image shows the process in which oxygen vacancies generated at the oxide (MnO) interface induce the internal atomic arrangement of the catalyst, leading to the formation of a Pt-Co-Mn ternary intermetallic structure that was previously difficult to realize. The top right image confirms that the actually synthesized nanocatalyst maintains a uniform structure at the atomic level, with Mn, Co, and Pt evenly distributed. The bottom right image shows that these structural characteristics result in high oxygen reduction reaction activity and excellent durability, achieving performance surpassing existing catalysts even under actual fuel cell conditions. Provided by the research team

Hydrogen fuel cells are an eco-friendly energy technology that generates electricity through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. However, the slow reaction rate of the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode and catalyst degradation during long-term operation have been pointed out as major obstacles to commercialization. In particular, while conventional platinum-based intermetallic catalysts have shown excellent structural stability, they have faced limitations in precisely controlling atomic composition and arrangement, making it difficult to achieve both high performance and durability under high-load operating conditions such as those found in hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Breakthrough with Ternary Platinum Catalyst Utilizing Oxygen Vacancies

To overcome these limitations, the research team newly designed a ternary intermetallic nanocatalyst composed of platinum (Pt), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn). By introducing a strategy that utilizes oxygen vacancies formed at the interface between the catalyst and oxide to control the internal atomic arrangement of the catalyst, they succeeded in stably realizing a ternary Pt-based intermetallic structure that had previously been difficult to achieve.

The newly developed catalyst features an optimized internal electronic structure, resulting in simultaneous improvements in oxygen reduction reaction activity and long-term durability. Electrochemical performance evaluations showed that it achieved more than 10 times the mass activity compared to commercial Pt/C catalysts and maintained over 96% of its initial performance even after more than 150,000 accelerated durability test cycles.

From the left, Yeji Park, PhD at Korea University & KIST (first author), Doyeop Kim, PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry at Korea University (first author), Sangwook Lee, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University (corresponding author), Sungjong Yoo, PhD at KIST (corresponding author), Kwangryeol Lee, Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Korea University (corresponding author). Provided by Korea University

Furthermore, in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) application tests, the catalyst demonstrated results exceeding the 2025 performance standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It maintained higher output than existing catalysts even under high-load conditions, proving its potential for a wide range of applications, including hydrogen-powered vehicles and power generation fuel cells.

Professor Kwangryul Lee stated, "This research presents a new catalyst design strategy that enables simultaneous control of structural order and composition at the atomic level," adding, "By verifying both performance and durability under actual fuel cell operating conditions, we expect this will significantly accelerate the commercialization of next-generation hydrogen fuel cells."

This research was supported by the Leader Research Program, the Domestic Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, KIST Institutional Program, and the H2Gather Program.