A new variation of a platinum-nickel alloy has been discovered which could offer hopes of a significant breakthrough in the efficiency of fuel cell technology.

The new platinum-nickel alloy has been observed to be the most active oxygen-reducing catalyst ever discovered, meaning that it could deliver much greater efficiency in the use of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells.

Researchers at the US Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory have been working on the new development and are hopeful that the new discovery could be used to significantly boost fuel cell development.

One of the researchers, Vojislav Stamenkovic, commented that the traditional barriers to creating fuel cells for the transport industry could be "eliminated" by the new platinum-nickel alloy.

He added: "This surface sets a new bar for catalytic activity in PEM fuel cells and makes it feasible to meet US Department of Energy targets for platinum-specific power densities without a loss in cell voltage."

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