Indian researchers develop catalyst for sustainable oxygen electrocatalysis

New Delhi, May 14 Researchers from Bengaluru-based Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) have created a groundbreaking new catalyst designed to make crucial oxygen-related catalytic reactions faster, more affordable and efficient, it was announced on Wednesday.

Electrocatalysis involving oxygen underpins numerous clean energy technologies, such as splitting water to produce hydrogen, creating clean fuels, and manufacturing chemicals like hydrogen peroxide.

However, these technologies typically face challenges like slow reaction speeds, high energy demands, and high costs due to the limited availability and expense of the precious metals involved.

Traditionally, catalysts used in these processes rely on expensive precious metals like platinum or ruthenium making the processes costly, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Targeting to reduce the costs, CeNS (under the Department of Science and Technology) has developed a new catalyst that uses nickel selenide enhanced by precisely adding a small amount of iron (Fe). This has the potential of not only reducing costs significantly, but also improves performance.

The team of scientists from CeNS began with a special material known as a metal-organic framework (MOF). MOFs are porous, crystalline structures useful for chemical reactions but have limited electrical conductivity.

The electronic structure of the MOF has been modulated by Fe doping to improve catalytic active sites. To improve conductivity, researchers converted MOFs into carbon-rich materials through a heating process known as pyrolysis, enhancing their ability to conduct electricity effectively.

Additionally, the catalyst exhibited excellent electrical conductivity, a crucial feature for rapid and efficient chemical reactions.

This breakthrough could significantly impact industries by providing a cost-effective, sustainable, and highly efficient alternative to current catalysts. Businesses could soon benefit from catalysts that not only cut operational costs but also could reduce environmental impact, said the ministry.

The research, published in the journal Nanoscale, opens exciting new avenues for designing advanced catalysts by tuning their electronic and structural properties.

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