A joint research team from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and several universities published innovative results in the journal Advanced Materials, developing a novel nanostructured catalyst synthesized via room-temperature ultrasound. This technology significantly improves the performance of hydrogen fuel cells while dramatically reducing production costs.

The team employed an ultrasound-assisted method to prepare a platinum-nickel hollow nanostructured catalyst with precise atomic arrangement at room temperature. Dr. Sung Jong Yoo, Director of the Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Center at KIST, stated: “Our catalyst exhibits a unique dome-shaped nanostructure with an unprecedented level of atomic arrangement precision.” Test data show that the catalyst achieves a mass activity 7 times higher than commercial products and durability more than 4.2 times greater.

This breakthrough technology is expected to accelerate the commercialization of hydrogen energy. Dr. Yoo pointed out: “The room-temperature synthesis process substantially lowers production costs while significantly enhancing performance, creating favorable conditions for the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cells.” The research team is currently expanding the technology to more metal combinations and conducting demonstration studies for automotive applications.