ICMol develops new catalysts for the production of green, more efficient and energy-saving hydrogen

A team led by the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol) at the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV) has developed a method to develop more efficient and scalable nickel-iron based catalysts for the production of green hydrogen through water electrolysis. This technology has been patented by ICMol and licensed to Matteco, UV spinoff and company located in the PCUV, for exploitation and transfer to industry. The work appears in Nature Communications

The production of green hydrogen by electrolysis requires efficient and sustainable materials. An important challenge in this area is to improve the oxygen evolution reaction, which is fundamental for the development of electrochemical devices such as electrolysers, fuel cells, etc..., without having to resort to expensive or difficult-to-scale materials, That is, difficult to produce abundantly for large-scale use.

In the study now published by the journal Nature Communications, a team from the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol), which is located in the scientific-academic area of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), describes a new method for manufacturing, in a simple and scalable way, an advanced catalyst based on double laminar nickel-iron hydroxides (NiFe-LDHs), two elements abundant in nature and not critical, that is, whose use is viable, sustainable and safe for industry.

The new catalyst overcomes the difficulties that previous nickel-iron compounds had in being applied on a commercial scale. "We have succeeded in synthesizing, in a simple and scalable way, a very efficient type of material to produce hydrogen with less energy. This will help make technologies such as electrolysis more accessible and competitive," says Gonzalo Abellán, ICMol researcher and principal project manager.

"We have succeeded in synthesizing, in a simple and scalable way, a very efficient type of material to produce hydrogen with less energy. This will help make technologies such as electrolysis more accessible and competitive", Gonzalo Abellán, ICMol researcher and co-founder of Matteco

Specifically, the method uses a chemical reaction based on epoxies which is carried out at ambient temperature and under mild conditions favourable for process safety and sustainability. The synthesized materials show, according to the article, a significant improvement in efficiency when integrated into a complete anion exchange membrane electrolysis cell (Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis - AEMWE).

The result is a more efficient catalytic material, which significantly reduces the energy requirement for green hydrogen production, thus contributing to the industrial decarbonisation targets set by the European Union’s scientific and climate policies.

The process and developed material are protected by a patent, which Matteco, spinoff of the University of Valencia based in the Innovation Center of the University of Valencia, located in the PCUV, is industrializing in line with the transition to a decarbonized energy model. The patent has been extended to more than 50 countries worldwide.

About Matteco 

Matteco is a spin-off established in August 2023 within the UV Science Park, focusing on advanced materials technology to decarbonize the economy and accelerate the energy transition through solutions for green hydrogen production. The result of more than a decade of R & D, is led by Gonzalo Abellán, head of the 2D-Chem research group at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol), and by Iker Marcaide through Zubi, a group of impact companies with the aim of solving social and environmental challenges.

The company develops patented catalysts and electrodes that significantly reduce the costs of the electrolysis process. In addition to its headquarters at the Science Park, Matteco has a 10,000 m2 manufacturing plant capable of producing the equivalent of 1 GW of electrodes per year. His team, mostly Valencian, already exceeds 40 professionals.  

In October 2024, Matteco closed a €15 million Series A financing round with the participation of family offices such as Grupo ASV, Napali and Zubi. These funds have been used for the start-up of the factory and to strengthen its integration with the main manufacturers of electrolysers worldwide. It has also been recognized as one of the 100 most innovative startups in Spain in the APTE 2024 ranking. 

Don’t miss chapter 6 of our podcast "La Bombilla de Livermore", in which Gonzalo Abellán participates

Source: UV News