Tecnológico de Monterrey researchers say cobalt ferrite nanocatalysts can replace costly precious metals in water electrolysis, lowering energy use and boosting green hydrogen’s industrial viability.
Researchers at Tecnológico de Monterrey have developed a low-cost nanotechnology-based electrocatalyst that could reduce the cost of producing green hydrogen by replacing precious metals such as iridium and ruthenium in a key stage of the process, according to a study published in the international scientific journal ChemNanoMat.
The research, led by Dr. Jorge Luis Cholula Díaz with Dr. Marcelo Videa and Dr. Faiz Sultan from the School of Engineering and Sciences at Tecnológico de Monterrey, found that cobalt ferrite-based electrocatalysts can significantly improve the efficiency of water electrolysis by cutting energy consumption and enabling a fast, stable reaction. The advance could strengthen the economic viability of green hydrogen and support its wider use in hard-to-abate sectors such as transport, aviation and global manufacturing.
Green hydrogen is widely seen as a crucial fuel for the energy transition because it emits only water vapor when used. But producing it requires splitting water molecules through electrolysis, a process in which the Oxygen Evolution Reaction, or OER, is typically the slowest and hardest-to-control step.
Industry currently relies on scarce and expensive metals such as iridium and ruthenium to speed up that reaction. The Tec de Monterrey team said its innovation replaces those materials with spinel-type ferrites, iron-based compounds with a crystalline structure that gives them stability and magnetic and electronic properties suited to electrocatalysis.
Electrocatalysis uses electricity to trigger a chemical reaction while a catalyst helps the reaction proceed faster and with less energy.
“The true challenge of sustainability is not just discovering clean technology in the laboratory, but making it economically viable so that it can be implemented in the real world. By controlling the size of the nanoparticles using microemulsions, we achieved that cobalt ferrite surpassed efficiency expectations. We are creating the bases for green hydrogen to stop being a future project and become an accessible industrial reality,” Cholula Díaz said.
To improve the performance of the lower-cost materials, the researchers used a technique developed by Dr. Margarita Sánchez of CIMAV called bicontinuous microemulsion. The method uses a water-and-oil mixture to create microscopic “nanoreactors” or molds, allowing scientists to produce nanoparticles with highly uniform size and enhanced surface properties.
The team tested the materials in an alkaline liquid similar to that used in industrial batteries and evaluated three indicators.
The first was lower overpotential, or the extra energy needed to start breaking down water and releasing oxygen. The researchers said cobalt ferrite required a noticeably lower electrical impulse than the nickel option to reach the same production level, meaning less energy was wasted as heat and electricity costs could fall.
The second was the Tafel slope, which measures how rapidly the reaction speeds up when more power is supplied. Cobalt ferrite showed a low slope, which researchers said indicated the material responded quickly to electrical stimulation and accelerated production efficiently.
The third was surface optimization. According to the researchers, cobalt ferrite’s nanometric structure provides millions of active sites, giving water molecules more places to react at once. The material also showed relatively low resistance to electrical current, allowing electrons to flow more freely.
Laboratory tests also found that cobalt ferrite remained highly stable during hours of continuous use, maintaining performance without significant wear, an essential condition for any future industrial application.
The study’s authors said the findings could help lay the groundwork for broader industrial adoption of green hydrogen by showing that highly efficient catalysts can be made using accessible chemical manufacturing processes and Earth-abundant materials.
The researchers said that could be particularly important for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, including heavy transport, aviation and manufacturing, where green hydrogen is seen as one of the few potential low-emission fuel options.
Tecnológico de Monterrey said the work aligns with its sustainability strategy and with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 13 on Climate Action.
The publication also adds to Cholula Díaz’s standing in the scientific community. Tecnológico de Monterrey said one of his previous publications was recently recognized as among the most cited in ChemNanoMat during 2025, reflecting the impact of his research in nanomaterials.
Tecnológico de Monterrey, founded in 1943, is a private non-profit university with a presence in 33 municipalities across 20 Mexican states. It has 60,000 undergraduate and graduate students and more than 27,000 high school students. Accredited by SACSCOC since 1950, it is ranked 187th in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and seventh in Latin America in the Latin America University Rankings 2024. The university said it also stands out in global employability and entrepreneurship programs and is part of international networks including APRU and U21.
Its School of Engineering and Sciences, or EIC, said it was ranked first in Mexico and Ibero-America for the second consecutive year and 48th worldwide in Engineering and Technology education in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
The school said its research strategy focuses on applied science through three main cores: Health, which applies biotechnology, nanotechnology, informatics and electronics to improve human health; Climate and Sustainability, which addresses environmental challenges including climate change and the transition to renewable energy; and Industrial Transformation, which promotes digital technologies, artificial intelligence and innovative processes in manufacturing and supply chains.
Those three areas are linked to strategic initiatives in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and semiconductors, the school said.
