Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Platinum group metal-free catalysts boost cost competitiveness of fuel cell vehicles

Nature Catalysis volume 2, pages 558–561 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

PGM-free catalysts for oxygen reduction represent a long-term, high-risk research and development approach with high potential impact on the single greatest cost contributor to automotive fuel cell stacks.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Projected stack cost breakdown for a state-of-the-art 80 kW net fuel cell system.
Fig. 2: Eliminating PGMs from PEMFC cathode is the most significant step to meeting the ultimate system cost target.
Fig. 3: Advances in initial PGM-free catalyst ORR activity compared to ElectroCat annual milestones.

References

  1. FCEV Cumulative Sales Data (California Fuel Cell Partnership, 2019); https://cafcp.org/sites/default/files/FCEV-Sales-Tracking.pdf

  2. H2@Scale. US Department of Energy www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/h2scale (2019).

  3. Wilson, A., Kleen, G. & Papageorgopoulos, D. Fuel Cell System Cost – 2017 (US Department of Energy, 2017); www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/17007_fuel_cell_system_cost_2017.pdf

  4. James, B. D., Huya-Kouadio, J. M. & Houchins, C. Mass production cost estimate of direct H 2 PEM fuel cell systems for transportation applications: 2015 update (2015); www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2016/11/f34/fcto_sa_2015_pemfc_transportation_cost_analysis.pdf

  5. Thompson, S. T. et al. Direct hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle cost analysis: system and high-volume manufacturing description, validation, and outlook. J. Power Sources 399, 304–313 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Wu, G., More, K. L., Johnston, C. M. & Zelenay, P. High-performance electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction derived from polyaniline, iron, and cobalt. Science 332, 443–447 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kongkanand, A. & Mathias, M. F. The priority and challenge of high-power performance of low-platinum proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 7, 1127–1137 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Whiston, M. M. et al. Expert assessments of the cost and expected future performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for vehicles. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116, 4899–4904 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Jasinski, R. A new fuel cell cathode catalyst. Nature 201, 1212–1213 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Yeager, E. Electrocatalysts for O2 reduction. Electrochim. Acta 29, 1527–1537 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Bashyam, R. & Zelenay, P. A class of non-precious metal composite catalysts for fuel cells. Nature 443, 63–66 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chung, H. et al. in Electrochemistry of N 4 Macrocyclic Metal Complexes, 2nd ed., Vol. 1 (eds Zagal, J. H., Bedioui, F.) 41–68 (Springer International Publishing, 2016).

  13. Li, J. et al. Atomically dispersed manganese catalysts for oxygen reduction in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Nat. Catal. 1, 935–945 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ballard to offer world’s first PEM fuel cell product using non precious metal catalyst. Ballard http://ballard.com/about-ballard/newsroom/news-releases/2017/09/13/ballard-to-offer-world-s-first-pem-fuel-cell-product-using-non-precious-metal-catalyst (2017).

  15. Banham, D., Choi, J.-Y., Kishimoto, T. & Ye, S. Integrating PGM-free catalysts into catalyst layers and proton exchange membrane fuel cell devices. Adv. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201804846 (2019).

  16. Thompson, S. T. et al. ElectroCat: DOE’s approach to PGM-free catalyst and electrode R&D. Solid State Ionics 319, 68–76 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Energy Materials Network. US Department of Energy www.energy.gov/eere/energy-materials-network/energy-materials-network (2019).

  18. Chung, H. T. et al. Direct atomic-level insight into the active sites of a high-performance PFM-free ORR catalyst. Science 357, 479–484 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Martinez, U. et al. Progress in the development of Fe-based PGM-free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. Adv. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201806545 (2019).

  20. He, Y. et al. Highly active atomically dispersed CoN4 fuel cell cathode catalysts derived from surfactant-assisted MOFs: carbon-shell confinement strategy. Energy Environ. Sci. 12, 250–260 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fuel Cell Technical Team Roadmap (USDRIVE, 2017); www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/11/f46/FCTT_Roadmap_Nov_2017_FINAL.pdf

  22. Fuel Cells Multi-Year Research, Development & Demonstration Plan (US Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office, 2017); www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/05/f34/fcto_myrdd_fuel_cells.pdf

  23. Myers, D. J. & Zelenay, P. ElectroCat (Electrocatalysis Consortium) (US Department of Energy, 2018); www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/review18/fc160_myers_2018_o.pdf

  24. Chenitz, R. et al. A specific demetalation of Fe–N4 catalytic sites in the micropores of NC_Ar + NH3 is at the origin of the initial activity loss of the highly active Fe/N/C catalyst used for the reduction of oxygen in PEM fuel cells. Energy Environ. Sci. 11, 365–382 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kneebone, J. L. et al. A combined probe-molecule, Mössbauer, nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy and density functional theory approach for evaluation of potential iron active sites in an oxygen reduction reaction catalyst. J. Phys. Chem. C 121, 16283–16290 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Komini Babu, S., Chung, H. T., Zelenay, P. & Litster, S. Modelling Electrochemical Performance of the Hierarchical Morphology of Precious Group Metal-free Cathode for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell. J. Electrochem. Soc. 164, F1037–F1049 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Shao, Y. Dodelet, J.-P., Wu, G. & Zelenay, P. PGM-free cathode catalysts for PEM fuel cells: a mini-review on stability challenges. Adv. Mater. 1807615 (2019).

  28. Martinez, U., Komini Babu, S., Holby, E. F. & Zelenay, P. Durability challenges and perspective in the development of PGM-free electrocatalysts. Curr. Opin. Electrochem. 9, 224–232 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Markovic, N. M., Adzic, R. R., Cahan, B. D. & Yeager, E. B. Structural effects in electrocatlalysis: oxygen reduction on platinum low index single-crystal surfaces in perchloric acid solutions. J. Electroanal. Chem. 377, 249–259 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Wilson, M. S. Membrane catalyst layer for fuel cells. US Patent 5,211,984 (1993).

  31. Spendelow, J. & Papageorgopoulos, D. Platinum group metal loading in PEMFC stacks (US Department of Energy, 2011); https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/11013_platinum_loading_pemfc.pdf

  32. Kongkanand, A. Highly Accessible Catalysts for Durable High-Power Performance (US Department of Energy, 2018); www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/review18/fc144_kongkanand_2018_o.pdf

Download references

Acknowledgements

The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the US Government or any agency thereof. Neither the US Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US Department of Energy, Washington, DC, USA

    Simon T. Thompson & Dimitrios Papageorgopoulos

Authors
  1. Simon T. Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dimitrios Papageorgopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dimitrios Papageorgopoulos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thompson, S.T., Papageorgopoulos, D. Platinum group metal-free catalysts boost cost competitiveness of fuel cell vehicles. Nat Catal 2, 558–561 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-019-0291-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-019-0291-x

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing