Newly identified methods to harness the properties of tungsten carbide could yield viable substitutes for precious metals like platinum.
Important everyday products—from plastics to detergents—are made through chemical reactions that mostly use precious metals such as platinum as catalysts. Scientists have been searching for more sustainable, low-cost substitutes for years, and tungsten carbide—an Earth-abundant metal used commonly for industrial machinery, cutting tools, and chisels—is a promising candidate.
But tungsten carbide has properties that have limited its applications. Marc Porosoff, an associate professor in the University of Rochester’s Department of Chemical and Sustainability Engineering, and his collaborators recently achieved several key…