A research team headed by Professor Liang Chen at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has engineered a high-entropy electrocatalyst capable of efficiently producing both hydrogen and valuable glycerol-derived chemicals. The study was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
Synthesis of high-entropy nanostructured PtCuCoNiMn electrocatalysts. Image Credit: NIMTE
Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier and a crucial industrial gas with numerous applications. Producing hydrogen through water electrolysis has gained attention as a sustainable and cost-effective energy conversion and storage method.
However, this approach's commercial viability is hindered by the low catalytic activity and high overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode, which leads to inefficient energy conversion and higher operational costs.
To overcome this limitation, the researchers designed and synthesized a high-entropy nanostructured catalyst composed of platinum, copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese (PtCuCoNiMn).
Glycerate, a high-value chemical, can be synthesized from glycerol via a sequential electro-oxidation process that is more energy-efficient than traditional oxygen evolution reactions (OERs).
Studies have shown that incorporating metals such as Cu, Pt, Co, Mn, and Ni significantly improves the catalytic activity and selectivity for glycerate formation. At a high current density of 200 mA cm⁻², the optimized catalyst achieved an impressive selectivity of 75.2%, highlighting its outstanding performance in electro-oxidation applications.
When implemented in an electrolyzer, the catalyst exhibited remarkable stability, successfully sustaining high-performance glycerol electro-oxidation reactions for over 210 hours.
This research presents a sustainable and efficient strategy for producing green hydrogen while concurrently synthesizing high-value chemicals through electrocatalysis. It represents a significant advancement towards achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality objectives.
Journal Reference:
Wang, S., et al. (2025) Nanoscale high-entropy surface engineering promotes selective glycerol electro-oxidation to glycerate at high current density. Nature Nanotechnology. doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-01881-9.