“Platinum-calcium alloy nanoparticles” replace platinum – achieving both efficiency and durability in fuel cells

□ A research team led by Professor Jong-sung Yu of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST (President Kunwoo Kim) has successfully synthesized platinum-calcium alloy nanoparticles using a liquid-phase method. These nanoparticles serve as a catalyst that simultaneously enhances both the efficiency and durability of hydrogen fuel cells, an emerging next-generation eco-friendly energy technology.

□ Previous studies had suggested that combining platinum with alkaline earth metals such as calcium could yield catalysts with excellent performance and durability. However, calcium is electrochemically challenging to handle, making its alloying with platinum extremely difficult. As a result, practical methods for synthesizing platinum-calcium alloy nanoparticles have remained underdeveloped worldwide.

□ The newly developed catalyst, synthesized via liquid-phase processing, features a core-shell structure with calcium and platinum atoms orderly arranged in the inner core and a platinum-rich shell on the outside. This structure is considered ideal for fuel cell catalysts, as it combines the high reactivity of platinum with the stabilizing effect of calcium in an innovative manner.

□ The research team applied the platinum-calcium nanoparticles as an anode catalyst in a practical hydrogen fuel cell environment and achieved performance and durability that exceeded the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2025 targets. In other words, the catalyst demonstrated performance levels suitable for immediate application in hydrogen vehicles and power generation.

□ To uncover the origin of this achievement, the research team collaborated with Professor Kai S. Exner’s team at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany to conduct theoretical studies. The results revealed that a strong interaction between platinum and calcium atoms is responsible for the catalyst’s high durability and long-term performance.

□ Professor Jong-sung Yu of DGIST stated, “It is often difficult for fuel cell catalysts to simultaneously achieve both high performance and long-term durability. The platinum-calcium alloy nanoparticles developed in this study not only exhibit excellent performance and durability, but also offer low production cost, making them a highly promising technology that could significantly accelerate the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells across various applications.”

□ This research was supported by the Mid-career Researcher Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (2024). Gyan-Barimah Caleb, a student on Professor Jong-sung Yu’s team at DGIST, participated as the first author, and the study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. The results were published in Small, a leading journal in the field of nanoparticles.

- Corresponding Author E-mail Address : jsyu@dgist.ac.kr