Catalyst and Catalyst Development
Catalysts are a critical component of electro-chemical and thermo-chemical reactions, enabling the efficient production, storage, and utilisation of hydrogen by lowering the reaction activation energy and increasing reaction kinetics for several key hydrogen technologies, particularly electrolysis and fuel cell utilisation. Advancing catalyst research, including developing cost-effective, durable, and high-activity materials, is essential to make hydrogen technologies economically viable and scalable for a net-zero energy future. Continued innovation in catalyst design directly impacts the performance and commercialisation of hydrogen energy systems.
From the results of our analysis, the UK ranks within the top 10 countries globally, in terms of academic research outputs. Several UK academics are consistently ranked as among the best in the world in catalyst research, situated in Newcastle University, University of Saint Andrews, University College London, and Imperial College London. It is notable that the UK catalyst research outputs have remained around 5 % of global research outputs over the past two decades. Catalyst research encompasses a multitude of technologies and processes and is vital for enabling a fast and stable transition towards hydrogen technologies. Platinum and Lanthanum emerge as two key rare earth metal catalysts, critical for electrolysis and fuel cell processes, as well as hydrogen storage. An uninterrupted and stable supply chain for catalyst raw materials is vital for a cost-effective energy transition, supporting local manufacturers for catalyst preparation and end-use requirements. Individual hydrogen technologies, such as those in Section 3.1, 3.2, and 5.1, are entirely reliant on rapid enhancement and secure supply chain of catalysts to enable a cost-effective and efficient transition towards hydrogen fuel.
Word cloud
The word-cloud of the primary and secondary keywords is presented for the Catalyst and Catalyst Development capability. These keywords were used as the input to Scopus for the purpose of the Academic Capability Mapping. The analysis underscores key research areas like reaction activation energy and kinetics, catalyst materials, and carbon deposition.
Documents by Country
The number of papers published worldwide pertaining to Catalysts and Catalyst Development since the year 2000, divided into three decades. Only the top 10 countries are displayed. It is interesting to note that the UK ranks at number 8 globally, indicating a need for further investment in the field.
Documents by Author (2000 – 2025)
Prominent UK academics and their affiliation is showcased. The y-axis represents the H-index of the authors, while the x-axis illustrates the number of papers published. It can be clearly seen that some of the UK’s leading researchers in the field of Catalysts and Catalyst Development are competitive with leading global researchers.
Leading UK & Global Institutions
The figure on the left represents the UK’s position globally, in terms of percentage of papers published annually, since the year 2000. The middle figure represents the total research outputs produced since the year 2000, globally and within the UK. The figure on the right represents the papers published by top 3 global universities and top 3 UK universities in the field of Catalysts and Catalyst Development. Imperial College London leads the way in the UK, followed by the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University.
UK Percentage (%)
UK Vs Global Outputs
Leading UK And Global Institutions
Electro-Chemistry
Electro-chemistry refers to the conversion between chemical and electrical energy. In the context of hydrogen, the production of hydrogen, through electrolysis, and the conversion of hydrogen to electricity, through fuel cells, come under the guise of electro-chemistry. Advancement of academic research within electro-chemistry is critical for lowering production and end-use utilisation costs of hydrogen through increased process efficiency and superstructure optimisation to reduce space and weight constraints of fuel cells and electrolysers.
The UK’s position within global research outputs in the field of electro-chemistry remains within the top 10, while UK research outputs have remained within 4-5 % of global research outputs within the last two decades. The majority of influential UK academics within the field of electro-chemistry are situated at Imperial College London, University of Birmingham, and Newcastle University. Whilst electro-chemistry primarily depends on catalyst research for process enhancement, it also includes optimisation of different layers of fuel cells and electrolysers, such as the electrode, electrolyte, membranes, and consideration of materials compatibility and degradation rates. Since both electrolyser and fuel cell technologies utilise a multitude of components and critical rare earth metal raw materials, the supply chain is quite extensive. Many fuel cells and electrolyser components are manufactured globally and then assembled within the UK for specific applications. Section 3.1 and 5.1 provide more details on UK academic capabilities in different types of electrolysers and fuel cells.
Word cloud
The word-cloud of the primary and secondary keywords is presented for the Electro-Chemistry capability. These keywords were used as the input to Scopus for the purpose of the Academic Capability Mapping. The analysis underscores key research areas like electrolytes, catalysts, and membranes.
Documents by Country
The number of papers published worldwide pertaining to Electro-Chemistry since the year 2000, divided into three decades. Only the top 10 countries are displayed. It is interesting to note that the UK ranks at number 7 globally, indicating a need for further investment in the field.
Documents by Author (2000 – 2025)
Prominent UK academics and their affiliation is showcased. The y-axis represents the H-index of the authors, while the x-axis illustrates the number of papers published. It can be clearly seen that some of the UK’s leading researchers in the field of Electro-Chemistry are competitive with leading global researchers.
Leading UK & Global Institutions
The figure on the left represents the UK’s position globally, in terms of percentage of papers published annually, since the year 2000. The middle figure represents the total research outputs produced since the year 2000, globally and within the UK. The figure on the right represents the papers published by top 3 global universities and top 3 UK universities in the field of Electro-Chemistry. Imperial College London leads the way in the UK, followed by the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University.
UK Percentage (%)
UK Vs Global Outputs
Leading UK And Global Institutions