Electric fields boost battery and fuel cell catalyst efficiency without redesign

KAIST and Seoul National University researchers developed a cation-mediated catalyst design that boosts oxygen reduction reaction efficiency in batteries and fuel cells without structural redesign. The strategy, led by Professor Seung Jun Hwang and Professor Jaeyune Ryu, improves reaction efficiency by regulating electric fields at the catalyst surface, reducing energy loss. The study, co-authored by Hwi Yul Jo, Vom Kang, and Dongyoung Kim, was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (2026, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c18246). This advancement enables higher performance in energy conversion devices with minimal material changes, offering a scalable path for next-generation energy systems.