Researchers in South Korea have developed a new way to improve the performance of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells without redesigning the catalysts that power them.
The discovery could lead to more efficient energy technologies with lower energy losses and longer lifespans.
The study was led by Professor Seung Jun Hwang from Seoul National University, working with Professor Jaeyune Ryu and their research teams.
Their findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Catalysts are materials that help chemical reactions happen faster and more efficiently. They are essential in many energy technologies, including batteries and fuel cells, where they help generate electricity through chemical reactions.
Traditionally, scientists improve catalysts by changing their structure. This might involve replacing one metal with another, such as swapping iron for cobalt or nickel, or redesigning the molecules surrounding the metal.
These changes can make the catalyst more effective, but developing new catalyst designs is often complex and time-consuming.
The new research takes a different approach. Instead of changing the catalyst itself, the scientists improved its performance by adjusting the electrical environment around it.
Professor Hwang’s team compares the idea to cooking. In the past, researchers tried to improve cooking by changing the frying pan’s material or shape. In this new approach, the frying pan stays exactly the same. Instead, the temperature and airflow around it are adjusted to help food cook more efficiently.
Similarly, the researchers kept the catalyst unchanged and focused on modifying the tiny electric fields surrounding it.
To achieve this, they placed positively charged particles, known as cations, near the catalyst. These cations created small electric fields that influenced how the chemical reaction took place.
The team found that these electric fields made an important reaction occur more efficiently and with less energy. In particular, the proportion of the desired reaction increased dramatically, rising from about 12% to as much as 52%.
This improvement means that more of the energy involved in the process is directed toward producing useful results instead of being wasted. As a result, batteries and fuel cells could become more efficient, more stable, and potentially longer-lasting.
The reaction studied is known as the oxygen reduction reaction. It plays a crucial role in generating electricity in hydrogen fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Hydrogen fuel cells create electricity from hydrogen and oxygen, while metal-air batteries use oxygen from the air as part of the energy-producing process.
Both technologies are considered promising options for future clean-energy systems, including electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
The researchers believe their approach could have applications beyond batteries and fuel cells. The same principle may help improve catalysts used to convert carbon dioxide into useful products or to produce clean hydrogen fuel more efficiently.
According to Professor Hwang, the study shows that it is possible to precisely control chemical reactions simply by changing the surrounding electrical environment rather than redesigning the catalyst itself.
He believes this strategy could open a new path for developing next-generation energy technologies, helping create more efficient batteries, fuel cells, carbon dioxide conversion systems, and environmentally friendly hydrogen production methods in the future.
