A catalytic discovery has been made which could help to improve a low-polluting energy technology that combusts natural gas more cleanly than conventional methods, with palladium at the centre of the innovation.

Researchers at Purdue University, Indiana, have found that palladium is a far more efficient performer than other catalysts.

"Palladium is the best metal for the catalytic combustion of methane, which is contained in natural gas," explained Fabio Ribeiro, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Purdue.

"There is no other element in the periodic table you can use that's better than palladium for this reaction."

Catalysts combust methane at lower temperatures than conventional burning methods, meaning that they emit less smog-producing nitrogen oxide pollution.

Catalytic combustion technology holds great promise as a future energy source because it generates less pollution without losing efficiency, but so far higher-performance catalysts to improve the process have been sought.

It is hoped that the identification of palladium as an efficient catalyst will now speed up the process, bringing catalytic combustion a step closer to becoming a commercial reality.