A class of non-precious metal composite catalysts for fuel cells

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells show potential as a future power source, but they are still too costly for commercial use, in part because they use platinum-based catalysts. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have now developed a new class of low-cost precious-metal-free catalysts that could eventually lead to more affordable fuel cells. The new materials, cobalt-polypyrrole composites, catalyse the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode. They are not yet as good as platinum, but they perform reproducibly in H2-O2 fuel cells at high voltages and with good stability.