How Critical Is Avoiding Critical Metals in Electrocatalysis? Lessons Learned from PGM-Free ORR Catalysts Development

摘要

The unprecedented situation with global COVID-19 pandemic exposed a significant vulnerability of world economics related to rearrangement and in some cases disappearance of supply chains. The Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) are listed critical minerals in practically all developed countries including USA, EU, UK and others. To ensure uninterrupted development of clean energy technologies, such as fuel cells and electrolysis, which are heavily depend on PGMs a significant breakthrough should be made to switch to completely PGM-free materials. Pajarito Powder in a close collaboration with world leader in MEA manufacturing IRD Fuel Cells, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii, and a number of US DOE National Labs (ANL, ORNL, LANL, NREL and other) developed under US DOE ElectroCat project Fe-N-C PGM-free catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction which are ready for commercial evaluation in some fuel cells applications.