Johnson Matthey

When discussing platinum group metals (PGMs) research, people often ask the wrong question. Conversations focusing on the price of the metal itself only provide part of the picture. What ultimately matters is cost in use: performance, durability and recyclability can have a far greater impact on technology economics than raw material price alone. As new PGM applications continue to emerge, it is important that this broader perspective is not overlooked. Find out more in this blog, exploring why cost in use, not metal price, needs to be considered in evaluating PGMs, and what this means for both established applications and future technologies.

Automotive catalysis is well established, but PGMs are opening new research frontiers - from energy-efficient spintronic memory to photocatalytic biomass conversion and breaking down PFAS materials. Explore the open research questions shaping their next applications.

PGMs contribute less than 5% of the overall cost of a fuel cell, yet cost concerns still shape the debate around FCEVs. Discover why performance, lifetime and recoverability - not raw material price - are the real measures of their value.

Thrifting has already cut platinum loadings in fuel cells by an order of magnitude while maintaining performance, and has helped gasoline catalysts cut emissions by 70% using the same amount of metal. Discover the three research questions that could push PGM efficiency even further beyond these applications.

From clean energy technologies to advanced electronics, platinum group metals are enabling new areas of scientific discovery. Explore the unanswered research questions that could unlock their next applications.

Can using less metal unlock more innovation? In the world of platinum group metals (PGMs), the answer is often yes. ‘Thrifting’ is well-established within PGM research, focussed on reducing the amount of metal used while achieving the same or better performance. The result is more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective technology. This approach has already helped transform applications such as automotive catalytic converters and fuel cells, and will be increasingly important as new technologies scale, as highlighted by Mark Clapp and Iryna Zenyuk. Read more in my blog, exploring how advances in metal efficiency are helping PGMs deliver more value than many people realise, and what this could mean for established and emerging applications.