China's new fuel cell tech boosts power with barely any platinum

Chinese researchers have developed a breakthrough in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by engineering a novel catalyst layer using triazine-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs). This innovation addresses the longstanding challenge of poor oxygen transport within fuel cells, reducing oxygen resistance by 38 percent. The COF-enhanced interface creates a nano-porous mesh that efficiently channels oxygen directly to catalyst sites, significantly improving oxygen utilization and enabling a peak power density of 1.55 W/cm² with an exceptionally low platinum loading of 0.05 mg_Pt/cm². This performance surpasses typical platinum-heavy designs by 1.3 times, marking a major step toward cost-effective and high-performance fuel cells. This advancement is particularly timely given China’s ambitious net-zero emissions goal by 2060 and its push for hydrogen-powered transportation. By drastically cutting platinum dependency—a costly and geopolitically sensitive material—the new technology reduces both material costs and system complexity, avoiding the need for oversized or stacked