
Thursday, March, 30 | 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Session: C3: Hydrogen | Track C: The Path to a Clean Energy Future
Mark McGough
H2U Technologies | CEO
Presentation Title:
A Catalyst Discovery Engine for Green Hydrogen
Abstract
Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers can produce green hydrogen from water and renewable electricity. They also typically rely on one of the rarest materials on earth to function: iridium. To scale electrolyzer manufacturing to meet rising demand for clean energy, the hydrogen community must develop solutions to address this supply chain issue. Using technology developed at Caltech, H2U built a Catalyst Discovery Engine that can be used to rapidly make, characterize, and quantify the catalytic activity of materials. Leveraging this method, H2U has uncovered novel, non-iridium catalysts that have been validated both in-house and through third-party testing. H2U then synthesizes catalyst hits as nanoparticles, incorporates the particles into catalyst coated membranes (CCMs), and evaluates the resulting CCMs for performance and stability. This method of catalyst development, from high-throughput discovery through testing and evaluation under real PEM electrolyzer operating conditions, offers a promising path toward commercialization of novel materials for hydrogen production.
Bio
Mr. McGough is an internationally recognized expert at commercializing new energy technology. Strong leader with excellent communications, decision-making and negotiating skills; creative and inspiring team builder.
Negotiated successful partnering and CM deals with major OEMs in China, Japan, Germany. The World Economic Forum honored Mr. McGough a technology pioneer, and Red Herring Magazine identified him as a top executive in the energy tech space. Mr. McGough completed his MS in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.