Ruthenium catalyst rivals platinum with less precious metal use
A new ruthenium catalyst nearly matches platinum for hydrogen output, using only one-fourth as much precious metal, according to Korean researchers.
Laboratory catalyst produces hydrogen with a quarter the precious metal
A research team led by Jinwoo Lee at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), working with several Korean research institutes, has developed a ruthenium catalyst for water electrolysis that matches the hydrogen production rate of commercial platinum catalysts while using only one-quarter as much precious metal. The results, reported in Nature Communications, focus on an “atom-layer neighbor” design that keeps three to four ruthenium atoms together. This arrangement allows more of the precious metal atoms to participate in the reaction compared with traditional nanoparticles, which have many atoms buried inside.
Water electrolysis, used for green hydrogen production, relies on catalysts made from expensive metals like platinum. The cost and limited availability of these metals create a need for alternatives that keep performance high but reduce metal use. Ruthenium, although still rare, currently commands far lower prices than platinum. The KAIST team’s approach arranges atoms in small groups, close enough to work together but not so large as to leave some atoms unused. In lab tests at 80 degrees Celsius and 2.0 volts with an anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer, the catalyst matched platinum’s hydrogen production while using only a quarter as much precious metal. Its durability test showed about half the performance loss of platinum over 500 hours. This is an early sign of improved long-term use for electrolysis equipment.arly sign of improved long-term use for electrolysis equipment.
These advances suggest the technology might help reduce costs for equipment makers if similar results are achieved at commercial scale. Wider adoption depends on larger tests and longer-term trials, since lab conditions can differ from the realities of industrial hydrogen plants.
Implications for precious metal supply and sourcing
Hydrogen production is an emerging source of demand for precious metals, particularly platinum group metals such as platinum and ruthenium. If catalysts like this become standard, it could shift industry demand: manufacturers might use less platinum and more ruthenium. The study found that the new design produced four times the catalytic activity per unit mass compared to platinum. That could ease some pressure on platinum supplies while increasing the importance of ruthenium, a metal that is also found in limited places. Most ruthenium mining takes place in Russia and South Africa, and production levels can vary from year to year.
For buyers of physical precious metals, the technology’s impact will depend on how quickly hydrogen plants adopt such catalysts. A move toward ruthenium-rich catalysts would not eliminate overall demand for precious metals, but it may lead manufacturers to rely more on ruthenium sourcing, which has its own risks relating to mine concentration and refining.
We think the major uncertainty is whether the laboratory performance can hold up in continuous, high-volume electrolyzers. Rules about acceptable catalyst metals and disclosure requirements, the transparency of precious metal supply chains, and the ability to verify where the ruthenium was mined or refined all play a role. The promise of lower metal use is real, but commercial and supply questions remain before the industry, and buyers, will see the impact.
This article is general information, not investment advice. Facts from other publications are their reporting, linked above.