Scientists have pioneered a method for developing catalysts for next-generation fuel cells using a rare earth element (REE) known as lanthanum.
The team has developed a novel technique for amalgamating high-cost platinum and low-cost lanthanum to create an alloy that works as a catalyst for advanced fuel cells. The innovation will not only reduce the costs and increase the performance of fuel cell technology, but also enable the decarbonisation of heavy transport vehicles that are less amenable to the use of battery power.
Limitations of current fuel cells
Batteries are currently the premier technology for powering cars; however, hydrogen fuel cells offer an effective zero-emission alternative for types of transport that find it difficult to swap combustion engines for batteries, such as the weight and volume of batteries required. This is especially true for heavy transport such as…
Rare earth element catalyst lowers cost of next-gen fuel cells
