Critical raw materials are becoming one of the major concerns for many industrial sectors.
They are essential for energy technologies, electronics, chemical processes, environmental applications and many other areas linked to the transition towards cleaner and more efficient systems. But they also come with a problem: many of them are scarce, expensive, difficult to source or exposed to supply chain risks.
In catalysis, this challenge is especially relevant.
Critical raw materials and the challenge for catalysis
Some of the most effective catalysts are based on precious or limited metals, including platinum group metals such as platinum, palladium, rhodium or iridium. These materials are widely used because they can offer excellent catalytic performance, but their availability and cost can become a barrier when technologies need to move towards broader application.
At this point, the architecture of the catalyst plays a decisive role.
Reducing dependence on scarce materials does not always mean replacing one metal completely with another. In many cases, it starts with using less metal while maintaining, or even improving, catalytic performance.
Even a modest reduction in metal loading can have a measurable impact on catalytic efficiency.
PRECIOUS METALS, INCLUDING THE PLATINUM GROUP, ARE FREQUENTLY USED IN CATALYSIS. SOURCE: ENVATO
Why using less metal matters
Conventional catalysts often require significant amounts of metal to achieve the desired activity, selectivity or stability. However, not every atom present in the catalyst is equally involved in the reaction, since some may remain inaccessible, poorly positioned or simply not active under operating conditions.
This means that part of the material can be present without contributing directly to performance.
For industries that rely on scarce or costly metals, this limitation underscores the need for catalysts that not only deliver high performance but also maximise the utilisation of the material they contain.
NANOGAP’s Metal-Molecules: sub-nanometre catalyst design
NANOGAP’s Metal-Molecules offer a different approach to this challenge.
Metal-Molecules are sub-nanometre clusters made of only a few metal atoms. At this scale, metals behave differently from bulk materials and conventional nanoparticles. Their properties are strongly influenced by size, composition and atomic structure, which opens new possibilities for catalytic design.
This is particularly relevant when dealing with limited or precious metals.
Since these sub-nanometre structures are composed of very small numbers of atoms, they can be used at very low metal loadings. Instead of relying on larger quantities of metal, the catalytic effect can come from highly controlled structures where each atom has a much more relevant role.
In other words, the focus shifts from increasing metal content to improving metal utilisation.
This can help reduce the amount of metal needed in a catalyst while preserving the activity required for demanding reactions. For applications involving precious or critical metals, that reduction can have a direct impact on material efficiency, cost and resource use.
Beyond precious metals: new catalytic possibilities
The potential of Metal-Molecules is not limited to lowering the use of scarce metals.
Their size-dependent properties also make it possible to explore catalytic systems based on more accessible metals in selected applications. These alternatives are based on metals such as copper or silver and may offer new routes to reduce reliance on conventional precious-metal catalysts.
However, this does not mean that critical raw materials will disappear from catalysis.
While some applications will inevitably require metals with particular characteristics, advances in catalyst design can significantly reduce dependence in processes where these materials are not essential.
Using scarce materials with greater precision
Reducing dependence on scarce metals does not always begin with replacing them, but with using them more intelligently. By concentrating catalytic activity in structures made of only a few atoms, NANOGAP’s Metal‑Molecules enable catalysts that maximise performance while minimising metal consumption.
As demand for critical raw materials continues to rise, this level of atomic precision offers a more efficient, resilient and sustainable path forward.
In catalysis, progress is not only about discovering new materials, but also about making every atom count.