Metals and catalysts

摘要

Hitachi Maxell Ltd of Japan has developed a catalyst that is used in oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). PEFC is a potential source of clean energy for automobiles, homes and electronic devices. At present, platinum (Pt) is generally used as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in PEFCs. However, Pt is expensive, being a precious metal. Thus, an important theme for research and development (R&D) in this area has been in reducing material costs by minimizing the amount of Pt used, while creating improvements in the catalytic activity of Pt.