A metal most people rarely think about may play an important role in the future of clean energy.
Researchers from Yale University and the University of Missouri have discovered that manganese, an abundant and inexpensive metal, can be used to efficiently convert carbon dioxide into formate—a compound that could help supply hydrogen for next-generation fuel cells.
The study, published in the journal Chem, shows that manganese-based chemical catalysts can outperform many existing catalysts made from rare and costly precious metals.
The discovery could open the door to more sustainable ways of producing and storing energy.
Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by converting hydrogen into energy, much like a battery. They produce no carbon emissions at the point of use, making them an attractive option for cleaner transportation and power generation.
However, one major obstacle has been finding affordable and efficient ways to produce, store, and transport hydrogen.
One promising solution involves formate, or formic acid in its protonated form. This chemical is already produced on an industrial scale and used in products such as preservatives and antibacterial agents.
Scientists also see formate as a potential hydrogen carrier because hydrogen can be released from it when needed.
The challenge lies in producing formate in a way that is both efficient and environmentally friendly.
Today, most industrial formate is made using fossil fuels, which undermines its sustainability benefits. A greener approach would be to make formate directly from carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere, turning a greenhouse gas into a useful resource. To do this, scientists rely on chemical catalysts—substances that speed up reactions without being consumed.
Until now, the most effective catalysts for this process have typically relied on precious metals such as palladium or iridium.
These metals are expensive, scarce, and sometimes toxic. More abundant metals like manganese are cheaper and safer, but they usually fall apart too quickly during reactions to be useful.
The research team overcame this problem by redesigning the molecular structure surrounding the manganese atom. They added an extra “donor atom” to the ligand—the molecular framework that binds to the metal and controls how it behaves. This change dramatically improved the stability of the catalyst, allowing it to keep working for much longer without breaking down.
As a result, the manganese-based catalysts were able to convert carbon dioxide into formate more effectively than most precious metal alternatives. According to the researchers, this is a rare example of a low-cost, earth-abundant metal outperforming traditional high-end catalysts in a demanding chemical reaction.
The implications go beyond fuel cells. The team believes the same design strategy could be applied to other chemical reactions that are important for clean energy and sustainable manufacturing. If so, manganese could become a key player in a wide range of green technologies.
By showing that a common metal can rival—and even surpass—its more expensive counterparts, the study points toward a future where cleaner energy solutions are not only more sustainable, but also more affordable.
