By Tomoyuki Tada, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, TANAKA Precious Metal Technologies Company Limited
India’s clean energy transition is expected to gain momentum, driven by growing investments in renewable energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility, and industrial decarbonisation. Government initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) are helping accelerate this shift, while creating new opportunities for technologies that can improve energy efficiency, reliability, and long-term sustainability.
As these technologies move from pilot projects toward commercial deployment, attention is often focused on infrastructure and end-use applications. Equally important, however, are the advanced materials that determine their efficiency, durability, and long-term reliability. Among these, precious metals play a critical role, particularly in systems where catalytic performance and durability directly influence overall efficiency and lifecycle costs.
Precious metals refer to a group of eight metallic elements: platinum, gold, silver, and platinum group metals, including palladium, iridium , rhodium, ruthenium , and osmium. Their unique catalytic, electrical, and chemical properties make them essential functional materials in a wide range of clean energy technologies, particularly in electrochemical and catalytic systems where material performance directly influences system efficiency.
Driving efficiency in hydrogen technologies
Hydrogen is emerging as an important part of India’s clean energy strategy, particularly under the NGHM. Applications such as fuel cell electric vehicles, stationary fuel cell power generation, and industrial hydrogen use are gaining traction globally. However, achieving high efficiency, durability, and commercial scalability depends not only on system design but also on advances in catalyst and materials technologies.
In polymer electrolyte fuel cells, also commonly referred to as proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, platinum and platinum-based alloy catalysts are used at both the anode and cathode to facilitate the electrochemical reactions that convert hydrogen into electricity. At the anode, these catalysts support the hydrogen oxidation reaction, while at the cathode they enable the oxygen reduction reaction, which is more kinetically demanding. The high catalytic activity of platinum and its alloys support efficient operation and is critical for achieving high power density and system efficiency, while ongoing material optimisation focuses on reducing platinum loading without compromising performance or durability. Reducing precious metal loading while maintaining catalytic performance is also an important direction in catalyst development, contributing to more efficient use of precious metal resources and improving the economic viability of clean energy technologies. Balancing catalytic activity, long-term durability, resistance to catalyst poisoning, and efficient precious metal utilisation remains a central focus of catalyst materials research.
Similarly, in water electrolysis systems, referred to as PEM electrolysers, precious metals play critical catalytic roles. Iridium-based catalysts are widely used for the oxygen evolution reaction at the anode, while platinum-based catalysts are typically used for the hydrogen evolution reaction at the cathode. These processes require materials that can operate under highly oxidative and acidic conditions while maintaining long-term stability. Iridium, for instance, is widely used due to its exceptional corrosion resistance under high anodic potentials, making it one of the few materials capable of sustaining long-term operation under such conditions. As iridium is one of the scarcest platinum group metals, maximising iridium utilisation and recovering it through recycling are becoming increasingly important for improving resource efficiency and supporting the sustainable expansion of PEM water electrolysis.
In addition to durability, catalyst resistance to poisoning is another important consideration. Trace sulphur compounds and carbon monoxide can adsorb onto catalyst active sites, reducing catalytic activity and overall system efficiency. Improving catalyst tolerance to these impurities therefore remains an important area of research for hydrogen-related technologies.
Beyond hydrogen production and conversion, precious metals also play a role in hydrogen purification and separation. Palladium-based membranes enable highly selective hydrogen permeation, supporting the production of ultra-high purity hydrogen required for applications such as fuel cells, semiconductor manufacturing, and other processes that require exceptionally high hydrogen purity.
Enabling emerging decarbonisation pathways
As India explores hydrogen and other low-carbon energy pathways, ammonia is also gaining attention as a hydrogen carrier and potential carbon-free fuel. Its relatively high energy density and existing infrastructure make it an attractive option for future clean energy applications. Precious metal catalysts are used to improve efficiency across ammonia synthesis and decomposition processes, particularly as next-generation systems aim to operate under milder and more energy-efficient conditions, where catalyst selectivity and stability become increasingly important.
Carbon utilisation technologies are also evolving, focusing on converting captured carbon dioxide into useful products such as synthetic fuels and chemical feedstocks. These processes rely on highly selective catalytic reactions, where precious metals play a key role in improving conversion efficiency and product yield.
Material properties that enable performance
The role of precious metals in clean energy technologies ultimately stems from the relationship between material properties and catalyst performance. Their high catalytic activity enables faster and more efficient chemical reactions, contributing to reduced energy losses and improved overall system performance.
Equally important is their resistance to corrosion. Many clean energy systems operate in harsh chemical environments, including strongly acidic electrolytes and highly oxidative electrochemical conditions. Precious metals maintain their structural and functional integrity under these conditions, supporting long-term durability and stable operation.
Thermal stability further enhances their suitability for demanding applications. In high-temperature processes, materials must retain consistent performance without degradation. Precious metals provide the stability needed to sustain reliable operation over extended periods, even under cyclic thermal and operational stresses.
In electrochemical systems, their excellent electrical conductivity also supports efficient electron transfer, contributing to improved system performance at the component and system levels.
From materials science to real-world application
Translating material properties into real-world performance requires not only scientific understanding, but also advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities. The optimisation of precious metal usage – through approaches such as nanoparticle catalysts, alloy development, and coating technologies – has become a key area of focus in improving both performance and resource efficiency.
Organisations with deep expertise in precious metals have played an important role in advancing these innovations. Through ongoing research and collaboration with industry partners, these efforts will help bridge the gap between laboratory-scale breakthroughs and scalable industrial solutions.
This type of material innovation is particularly relevant as clean energy technologies move toward wider deployment. Ensuring consistent quality, performance, and supply of key materials will be essential to supporting long-term adoption. Alongside continued catalyst innovation, effective management of precious metals throughout their lifecycle, from refining and material development to recovery and recycling, will become increasingly important for improving resource efficiency and supporting the sustainable growth of clean energy technologies.
Supporting the energy transition
As India continues to expand its clean energy ecosystem, the role of enabling technologies and advanced materials will become increasingly important. Initiatives in green hydrogen, sustainable fuels, renewable energy, and industrial decarbonization are expected to accelerate, placing greater emphasis on system efficiency, durability, and scalability.
Precious metals, as functional materials, will remain central to these developments. While operating behind the scenes, they are essential for enabling the performance, reliability, and long-term stability of many clean energy systems.
For the engineering community, understanding how these materials function and how they can be effectively integrated into system design will be key to advancing the next generation of energy technologies. Continued innovation in advanced precious metal materials, catalyst technologies, and responsible resource management will not only support technological progress but also help accelerate India’s transition toward a more sustainable energy future, with materials science playing a central role in addressing evolving performance, durability, and scalability challenges.
