SpinCat will develop efficient platinum-group metal (PGM) free catalysts for water electrolysis to allow, in the long term, a reduction of the cost of membrane-based electrolyser technology. This will be achieved by:

• Realising a new class of magnetic earth-abundant catalysts that, through spin polarisation, will boost catalytic activity towards OER by a factor of three as compared to state-of-the-art catalysts;

• Designing and preparing catalyst materials featuring optimal spin polarisation effects through an interplay of experiment and theory;

• Gaining fundamental knowledge on the parameters affecting the OER activity of magnetic materials;

• Developing a general theoretical model for the overall description of the influence of the electron spin in electrocatalysis;

• Demonstrating in a magnetically enhanced anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser prototype, which merges the benefits of both internal and external magnetic effects.

This project will contribute to establishing Europe as the world leader in electrolyser technology for renewable HYDROGEN production.