High-Entropy Alloy for Hydrogen Production

• 18 Feb 2025

Source: BL

Researchers have developed a high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalyst for water electrolysis, enhancing hydrogen production while reducing dependence on costly materials like platinum for clean energy generation. 

• Alloys & High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs): Alloys are metallic substances composed of 2 or more elements, while HEAs are advanced metallic alloys materials with 5 or more elements mixed in equal or similar proportions.  
  • HEA catalyst consists of platinum, palladium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese. 
• HEAs possess high strength, corrosion, and wear resistance, ensuring durability. 

HEA Role in Electrolysis: 

• In electrolysis, a catalyst (like platinum) is used which reduces the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction (activation energy), accelerating water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen.  
• The HEA catalyst reduces platinum use by 7 times improving efficiency over pure platinum, and remains stable for 100+ hours in alkaline seawater, enabling cost-effective hydrogen production. 

Read More: Green Hydrogen and Carbon-Neutral Future