How Light-Activated Nickel Catalysts Could Replace Expensive Palladium in Industry

By Quantum Server Networks | July 2025

Nickel Catalyst Research

In a breakthrough that could transform industrial chemistry, scientists at multiple U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories have revealed how light-activated nickel catalysts can perform the same reactions as expensive palladium catalysts, but at a fraction of the cost. Their research, published in Nature Communications, unravels how these abundant and inexpensive catalysts preserve their reactivity and resist degradation, unlocking new opportunities for chemical manufacturing.

The Palladium Problem

Palladium has long been the metal of choice for industrial catalytic reactions, particularly in pharmaceuticals, electronics, and agriculture. However, its scarcity and cost—approaching $1,000 per ounce—make it unsustainable for large-scale use. In contrast, nickel costs less than $1 per ounce and offers a more environmentally and economically viable alternative.

Nickel: Cheap and Light-Driven

Unlike palladium, nickel’s catalytic activity can be driven by light rather than high heat. This allows for milder reaction conditions, enabling previously unattainable chemical transformations and expanding the scope of reactions possible in fields such as agriculture and electronics manufacturing.

The DOE team—spanning NREL, Brookhaven, SLAC, and Argonne National Laboratory—discovered a new intermediate form of nickel catalyst. This form, stabilized by a solvent radical, prevents the catalyst from degrading and extends its useful lifetime. Pulse radiolysis and X-ray spectroscopy confirmed how light initiates the reaction and protects the nickel from deactivation.

Applications and Impact

Nickel catalysts are already gaining traction in pharmaceutical synthesis, but this research suggests their use could spread to large-volume chemicals, agricultural processes, and advanced materials fabrication. The discovery may even allow researchers to eliminate the use of rare elements like iridium in conjunction with nickel, simplifying catalyst systems further.

"This mechanistic understanding gives us a roadmap for designing next-generation nickel catalysts that are both effective and economical," said Max Kudisch, the study’s lead author.

Read the original article on Phys.org

Learn More

Access the full study in Nature Communications.

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#NickelCatalysts #GreenChemistry #LightDrivenReactions #IndustrialCatalysis #MaterialsScience #PWmat #QuantumInnovation

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