Green hydrogen
PGM-Free HER Catalysts
Ranked non-platinum hydrogen-evolution catalyst candidates with Sabatier fit, synthesis evidence, patent density, and supply-risk context.
Audience
Electrolyzer, catalyst, and green-hydrogen teams screening alternatives to Pt-group electrodes.
Why this matters
Hydrogen projects face PGM cost and supply concentration pressure. A useful screen has to join catalytic activity with synthesis, IP, and element risk, not just list low-cost metals.
Ranking basis
- Distance from HER Sabatier optimum or literature-backed HER relevance
- PGM-free and lower concentration-risk element sets
- Thermodynamic or experimental precedent
- Synthesis route and patent-landscape evidence
Ranked candidates
Candidate Materials
These rows are curated as an indexable public screen. Each candidate links into the broader material profile when a profile exists.
| Candidate | Role | Stability | Synthesis | Patent Density | Supply Risk | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu3SbS4 Copper antimony sulfide | Earth-abundant sulfide HER candidate | Known chalcogenide family | Hydrothermal and sulfide routes reported in literature | Low to medium; application-specific claims matter | Medium; antimony should be watched | Useful as a mineral-backed PGM-free catalyst story where the novelty is HER application and surface behavior. Evidence: OCP/CatHub-style adsorption evidence plus literature synthesis |
| Ni3P Nickel phosphide | Benchmark PGM-free phosphide catalyst | Experimentally studied phase family | Phosphidation and solution routes widely reported | Medium; crowded family, useful as benchmark | Medium; nickel exposure | A practical comparison anchor for new phosphide and alloy candidates. Evidence: HER phosphide literature and Lattice Graph patent corpus |
| MoS2 Molybdenum disulfide | Layered chalcogenide benchmark | Experimentally established | CVD, hydrothermal, and exfoliation routes | High; mature catalyst literature | Medium | Useful benchmark for edge-site activity and catalyst morphology tradeoffs. Evidence: Chalcogenide catalyst literature |
| FeS2 Pyrite | Low-cost sulfide comparator | Experimentally established | Bulk mineral and synthetic routes | Low to medium | Low | Low-cost comparator that tests whether activity is worth the additional complexity of richer chemistries. Evidence: Experimental mineral and sulfide literature |
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