Japan has possibly discovered the holy grail of electrolysis. In an incredible discovery, scientists at the RIKEN Institute have come up with a cost-effective and efficient substitute for the costly rare metals in the production of hydrogen. They have reengineered the structure of a common metal, manganese, to form a new catalyst that generates up to 1,000 percent more hydrogen than existing non-noble metal catalysts.

Green hydrogen, which is produced by electrolyzing water with renewable energy, is generally regarded as the future of clean energy. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers have become a popular choice because of their efficiency and sensitivity to variable power sources. Their reliance on rare and expensive metals such as platinum or iridium has, however, hampered their mass adoption.