Manganese Gets Its Moment as a Promising Catalyst for Cleaner Hydrogen Fuel Cells

The push toward a more sustainable energy future often hinges on finding materials that are cheap, abundant, and efficient. A new study from researchers at Yale University and the University of Missouri suggests that manganese — a metal usually overshadowed by more glamorous elements — could play a key role in next-generation hydrogen fuel technology. Their findings show that manganese-based catalysts can efficiently convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into formate, a compound widely seen as a practical and scalable source of hydrogen for fuel cells.

This research, published in the journal Chem, highlights a significant step forward in sustainable chemistry and carbon utilization. By addressing long-standing limitations of non-precious metal catalysts, the team demonstrates that manganese can compete with — and in some cases outperform — catalysts made from expensive and scarce precious metals.

Why Hydrogen Fuel Cells Still Face Major Challenges

Hydrogen fuel cells work in a way that is similar to batteries. They convert chemical energy stored in hydrogen into electricity, producing water as the only by-product. This makes them highly attractive for clean energy applications, especially in transportation and grid-scale power generation.

However, one of the biggest obstacles to widespread adoption is not the fuel cell itself, but how hydrogen is produced, stored, and transported. Pure hydrogen is difficult to store safely and efficiently, and most industrial hydrogen production today relies on fossil fuels, which undermines its environmental benefits.

This is where formate and formic acid enter the picture.

Formate as a Hydrogen Carrier

Formate, and its protonated form formic acid, are already produced at an industrial scale. They are commonly used as preservatives, antibacterial agents, and tanning chemicals. More importantly for clean energy research, formic acid can act as a liquid hydrogen carrier. Hydrogen can be released from it when needed, making storage and transportation much easier compared to compressed hydrogen gas.

The problem is that current industrial methods for producing formate depend heavily on fossil fuels. This makes the process unsustainable in the long term and limits its usefulness in truly green hydrogen systems.

A more environmentally friendly solution is to produce formate directly from atmospheric carbon dioxide, effectively turning a greenhouse gas into a valuable energy resource.

The Catalyst Problem in CO₂ Conversion

Converting CO₂ into formate is not easy. The reaction requires a catalyst — a substance that speeds up chemical reactions without being consumed. Many of the most effective catalysts developed so far rely on precious metals, which are expensive, less abundant, and often toxic.

Researchers have long known that earth-abundant metals like manganese are more sustainable alternatives. Unfortunately, these metals usually come with a serious drawback: their catalysts tend to decompose quickly, losing activity before they can convert meaningful amounts of CO₂.

This instability has been one of the main reasons manganese has not been considered a serious contender — until now.

How the Researchers Made Manganese Competitive

The research team, led by Justin Wedal and Kyler Virtue, with senior authors Nilay Hazari and Wesley Bernskoetter, took a different approach. Instead of focusing solely on the metal itself, they redesigned the ligands — the molecules that bind to the metal center and control its reactivity.

Their key innovation was introducing an additional donor atom into the ligand framework. These specially designed ligands are known as pincer ligands with hemilabile behavior, meaning part of the ligand can temporarily detach and reattach during the reaction. This flexibility helps stabilize the manganese center and prevents the catalyst from breaking down.

The result was a manganese-based catalyst with a dramatically extended lifetime. Not only did it remain active for much longer than previous manganese catalysts, but its overall productivity surpassed that of many precious-metal catalysts currently used for CO₂ hydrogenation.

This is a major milestone, as it shows that performance does not have to be sacrificed for sustainability.

Why This Breakthrough Matters

The implications of this work go far beyond one specific chemical reaction.

First, it offers a realistic pathway for carbon dioxide utilization, a major priority in climate and energy research. Instead of treating CO₂ purely as waste, this approach turns it into a useful feedstock for fuel production.

Second, it demonstrates that earth-abundant metals can be engineered to rival or exceed precious metals through smart molecular design. This could significantly reduce the cost and environmental impact of future catalytic processes.

Third, the researchers note that their ligand-stabilization strategy may be applicable to many other catalytic transformations, opening the door to broader advances in sustainable chemistry.

Manganese and Sustainable Catalysis

Manganese is particularly attractive for large-scale applications. It is widely available, relatively non-toxic, and already used in industries ranging from steel production to batteries. Compared to metals like platinum or iridium, manganese’s abundance makes it far more suitable for global deployment.

This study reinforces a growing trend in catalysis research: moving away from rare elements and toward smart design using common materials. Rather than searching endlessly for new metals, researchers are learning how to extract better performance from what is already available.

The Bigger Picture for Clean Energy

Hydrogen fuel cells are often described as a cornerstone of future clean energy systems, but their success depends on the entire supply chain. Technologies that allow hydrogen to be generated cleanly, stored safely, and transported efficiently are essential.

By showing that CO₂ can be converted into a hydrogen-rich compound using a stable, manganese-based catalyst, this research addresses several challenges at once. It supports carbon recycling, reduces reliance on fossil fuels, and lowers the cost barriers associated with precious metals.

While further work is needed before this approach can be scaled commercially, the study provides a strong proof of concept and a clear direction for future research.

What Comes Next

The researchers involved believe this is only the beginning. The same principles used to stabilize manganese in this system could be applied to other reactions, potentially enabling sustainable routes to fuels, chemicals, and industrial materials that currently depend on fossil resources.

As pressure mounts to decarbonize global energy systems, innovations like this show how chemistry at the molecular level can have far-reaching environmental and economic impacts.

Research paper:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2025.102833