New Delhi, May 14 (NationPress) A team of researchers from the Bengaluru-based Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) has unveiled a revolutionary catalyst aimed at accelerating critical oxygen-related catalytic reactions, making them faster, more cost-effective, and efficient, as announced on Wednesday.

Electrocatalysis involving oxygen plays a vital role in numerous clean energy technologies, including water splitting for hydrogen production, the creation of clean fuels, and the synthesis of chemicals like hydrogen peroxide.

Despite their importance, these technologies often encounter hurdles such as slow reaction rates, elevated energy requirements, and high costs due to the reliance on scarce and expensive precious metals.

Typically, the catalysts utilized in these applications depend on costly precious metals like platinum or ruthenium, making them financially prohibitive, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

In a bid to address these cost issues, CeNS (under the Department of Science and Technology) has developed a new catalyst incorporating nickel selenide, augmented by a precise addition of iron (Fe). This innovation not only has the potential to significantly lower costs but also enhances performance.

The CeNS research team began their work with a unique material known as a metal-organic framework (MOF). While MOFs are porous and crystalline structures that facilitate chemical reactions, they suffer from limited electrical conductivity.

By doping the MOF with iron, researchers were able to modulate its electronic structure, enhancing catalytic active sites. To boost conductivity, they transformed the MOFs into carbon-rich materials using a heating method called pyrolysis, thereby improving their electrical conduction capabilities.

This new catalyst also demonstrated outstanding electrical conductivity, an essential characteristic for swift and efficient chemical reactions.

This innovation could profoundly influence industries by providing a cost-effective, sustainable, and highly efficient alternative to existing catalysts. Businesses may soon reap the benefits of catalysts that not only lower operational expenses but also minimize environmental impact, as highlighted by the ministry.

The findings, published in the journal Nanoscale, pave the way for exciting new possibilities in the design of advanced catalysts by fine-tuning their electronic and structural attributes.