Washington University in St. Louis

WashU fuel cell breakthrough targets data centers that keep draining the grid

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new catalyst for low-temperature fuel cells that significantly improves durability and performance, potentially enabling data centers to generate their own electricity from hydrogen. The breakthrough involves a novel carbon nanostructure that allows platinum-cobalt nanoparticles to remain stable and highly ordered at high temperatures, retaining 85% of their performance after extensive testing. While still in the laboratory phase, this development could reduce the strain on the energy grid caused by increasing data center electricity consumption.