Description:
Reference #: 01545
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Single atom catalysts for hydrogen oxidation in fuel cells
Background:
Low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells have the potential to provide clean, renewable, power for mobile, stationary and transportation applications. However, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have fallen short of widespread usage due to high cost at the cell-level and systems-level.
Invention Description:
This innovation is an inexpensive platinum group metal free catalyst for the hydrogen oxidation reaction in low temperature fuel cells. It is created from earth-abundant elements. The catalyst can achieve high activity and performance in hydrogen fuel cells.
Potential Applications:
Modern low temperature fuel cells use high loadings of platinum group metal catalysts at both electrodes, leading to high costs. The Pt-based catalysts are used because they are the most active. Previous attempts to create platinum-group-free catalysts at low temperatures have not been successful. Those previous attempts were typically made from Ni-based materials that passivate and become deactivated over time. The catalyst proposed here solves that problem using a new approach.
Advantages and Benefits:
Much lower cost for catalysts. The catalyst in a low T fuel cell now is ~50% of the stack price. This would allow them to reduce product cost and increase market adoption.