Nickel-Based Electrocatalyst for Hypophosphite Oxidation

Researchers at Stanford are developing hypophosphite catalysts made of nickel phosphide, a non-precious metal based material. Hypophosphite is a safe, non-toxic material with high potential for use in fuel cells. Its existence as a solid, and demonstrated high solubility in aqueous solution, removes the need for high-pressure gas storage, and it can compete energetically with other fuel cell materials. However, there are a limited number of known materials capable of driving hypophosphite oxidation. The most active electrocatalyst is palladium -- a precious metal -- which imposes a high cost and impedes widespread deployment. Identifying alternative catalysts based on earth-abundant materials is essential to advancing hypophosphite fuel cell technology. The researchers have found that nickel phosphide performs well as a hypophosphite oxidizer and have tested it in a fuel cell.

Stage of Development
The researchers have synthesized a nickel phosphide electrocatalyst and demonstrated oxidation of hypophosphite in relevant electrochemical conditions.