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An international team has developed a new catalyst that uses five times less platinum than conventional methods, potentially lowering hydrogen production costs. The catalyst, which includes nickel and cobalt, was created to address the high cost and scarcity of platinum, currently priced at $85 per gram.

The research team, including members from South Africa, Brazil, Canada, and Germany, published their findings in ACS Applied Energy Materials. The new catalyst uses only 4% platinum by weight while maintaining performance comparable to traditional platinum-rich catalysts.

The Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan provided critical data for understanding the catalyst's atomic structure. Although promising, the work is still in early stages, and a start-up in South Africa may collaborate with the team for further development.