SBIR Phase I: Engineering Scalability of Durable Low-Noble-Metal-Content Fuel Cell Catalysts

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be the demonstration of a commercially viable catalyst technology for hydrogen fuel cells. In the existing energy market, customer needs arise from the specific requirements of sustainable energy grids in terms of storage and conversion modules that manage the energy efficiency and meet stringent regulations for pollution.

Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to address most of those requirements. The potential commercial impact of the proposed project stems from increasing societal interest and market needs in clean energy and a sustainable environment. The technology will contribute to the replacement of fossil fuels and reduce emissions from stationary power plants and on-road/off-road transportation.

The proposed technology development will benefit the manufacturers of fuel cell stacks or parts which currently suffer from high manufacturing costs associated with high-cost catalysts and short lifetimes of the catalyst in fuel cell operation. The technology also has the potential to benefit the agriculture drone manufacturers seeking an alternative lightweight, highly efficient energy package with long flight duration and low/zero pollution.

This SBIR Phase I project will develop a new technology that enables hydrogen fuel cells with catalysts containing a low percentage of platinum group metals and a membrane electrode assembly with high activity and durability. Key pain points in the fuel cell market are the high loading of platinum group metals in the catalysts and the poor durability of the current catalysts during operations.

The goal is to develop a commercially viable route to the durable and low-platinum-content catalyst and membrane electrode assembly by nano-engineering the metal composition and synthesis scalability. The proposed research and development will accomplish three major tasks including the development of a scalable synthesis route for the production of the targeted catalyst, the preparation of the membrane electrode assembly, and the evaluation of the performance in the hydrogen fuel cells.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.