Cornell researchers have captured an unprecedented, real-time view of how a promising catalyst material transforms during operation, providing new insights that could lead to replacement of expensive precious metals in clean-energy technologies.
Fuel cells efficiently convert hydrogen and oxygen directly into electricity, with catalysts playing a crucial role in accelerating the process. Platinum has long been the preferred catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction due to its efficiency and durability, but its high cost limits widespread adoption.
Seeking a more affordable alternative, a research team co-led by materials scientist Andrej Singer, and chemist Héctor Abruña studied a cobalt-manganese oxide catalyst. In a study published Feb. 7 in Nature Catalysis, they used advanced X-ray techniques at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source to observe the catalyst in action. Their findings revealed an unexpected structural stability, suggesting it has the potential to be a cost-effective rival to platinum.
“These cobalt-manganese oxides can accommodate surprisingly large strains during operation” said Singer, associate professor of materials science and engineering in Cornell Engineering. “Many other materials would permanently deform or degrade.”
The study also identified a key limitation: While the material can repeatedly recover from small, rapid voltage shifts, prolonged exposure triggers an irreversible structural transformation. The finding, along with further modeling, is helping researchers better define the material’s potential degradation points.
“The current model for electrochemical surface reactions fails to explain our in situ data – there’s clearly a more complex mechanism at play,” Singer said. “Future research may clarify these mechanisms and inform the development of high-performance catalyst materials.”
The research brought together chemists, physicists and materials scientists as part of a broader collaborative effort at Cornell. It builds on the work of Abruña, the Emile M. Chamot Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), who has been exploring catalyst alternatives to platinum as the director of the Center for Alkaline-based Energy Solutions.
“These findings are providing valuable insights that we feel will enable the broad deployment of these technologies,” Abruña said. “This work also illustrates the collaborative and synergistic research environment and culture at Cornell, and serves as an example of research coming full circle.”
Yao Yang, Ph.D. ’21, co-author of the paper and now an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (A&S), first studied the cobalt-manganese oxides as a doctoral student in Abruña’s group. Tomás Arias, professor of physics (A&S), also co-authored the study, reflecting the interdisciplinary approach to the work.
Building on these findings, the team plans to explore other bimetallic oxide systems and extend their X-ray methodologies to investigate a broader range of electrocatalytic materials.
The research was supported as part of the Center for Alkaline-based Energy Solutions, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Experiments were conducted at the Center for High-Energy X-ray Sciences at CHESS, which is supported by the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Science Foundation.
Syl Kacapyr is associate director of marketing and communications for Cornell Engineering.
