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Researchers at Tohoku University have discovered that dual-atom catalysts follow a "dual-Sabatier optima" pattern during energy conversion reactions, meaning these catalysts exhibit two distinct performance peaks rather than the single optimum predicted by classical Sabatier theory. This finding overturns a long-standing assumption in catalysis science, which had held that reaction efficiency follows a single-peak volcano plot. The study, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, provides a new theoretical framework for understanding and designing dual-atom catalytic systems.
Why it matters
This discovery could guide the rational design of more efficient and cost-effective fuel cell catalysts, potentially reducing reliance on expensive platinum-group metals and accelerating the development of clean energy technologies.
Researchers have uncovered a new principle that could accelerate the development of cheaper and more efficient fuel cells by revealing how dual-atom catalysts behave during a key energy conversion reaction. The study, led by researchers at Tohoku University, shows that these catalysts follow a previously unknown “dual-Sabatier optima” pattern, overturning long-standing assumptions in catalyst science. Details of the findings were published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Source: Dual-atom fuel cell catalysts break single-peak rule, exposing two optima