iCeMS Researchers Create Rare Metal Alloy

Researchers at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), led by adjunct professor Hiroshi Kitagawa, have succeeded in creating a rare metal alloy used for industrial purposes.

In their report, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the team combined two metals called palladium and ruthenium, which typically behave like oil and water when put together and will not mix even when they are liquified at 2000 degrees celsius. But by mixing the metals at the atomic level, the researchers were able to overcome these challenges.

The newly created metal may be substituted for rhodium, a metal normally used for automobile exhaust pipes. This new metal is one third the cost of rhodium, just as robust and has many of the same characteristics such as eliminating nitric oxide from exhaust.

Publication Information

Extenal LinkSolid Solution Alloy Nanoparticles of Immiscible Pd and Ru Elements Neighboring on Rh: Changeover of the Thermodynamic Behavior for Hydrogen Storage and Enhanced CO-Oxidizing Ability

Kohei Kusada*¹, Hirokazu Kobayashi^1,2, Ryuichi Ikeda¹, Yoshiki Kubota³, Masaki Takata^4,5, Shoichi Toh^2,6, Tomokazu Yamamoto^2,6, Syo Matsumura^2,6, Naoya Sumi^2,7, Katsutoshi Sato^2,7,8, Katsutoshi Nagaoka^2,7 and Hiroshi Kitagawa*^1,2,9,10

Journal of the American Chemical Society | Published Online 23 January 2014 | DOI: 10.1021/ja409464g

1. Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
2. Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0076 Japan
3. Department of Physical Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
4. RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
5. Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
6. Research Laboratory for High Voltage Electron Microscopy, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
7. Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Oita University, 700 Dannoharu, Oita 870−1192, Japan
8. Energy Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8568, Japan
9. Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
10. INAMORI Frontier Research Center, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-3095, Japan