AZUL Energy’s catalyst technology enhances energy storage performance by leveraging a molecular design inspired by hemoglobin.

Benefits

  • Enhance energy storage solutions
  • Use abundant resources
  • Reduce carbon dioxide emissions
  • Improve cost performance

Applications

  • Fuel cells, water electrolyzers
  • Long-duration energy storage (LDES) with metal-air batteries

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

  • Goal 7: Affordable & Clean Energy

  • Goal 13: Climate Action

  • Goal 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

The Challenge

The energy transition to clean and sustainable energy is necessary, but challenged by the reliance of energy storage solutions on rare metal technologies like Platinum Group Metal (PGM) catalysts. The platinum mining and refining processes required to make PGMs emit 17 tons of carbon dioxide for every one kilogram produced. The demand for PGM catalysts is expected to surge in coming years, with a supply chain shortage and inflated costs expected. With a large share of the world’s platinum produced in South Africa and Russia, the energy transition not only presents considerable environmental challenges but also raises important geopolitical considerations.

Biological Model

Without the use of any rare metals, the human body generates, stores, and transports energy for survival. Hemoglobin, a found in our red blood cells, s the needed oxidation-reduction, or “redox”, reactions in our bodies to allow energy to be extracted and used. Within hemoglobin, there is a specialized structure called the heme group, which contains iron in its “ferrous” form, Fe²⁺. Iron in this form has exactly the right number of electrons to temporarily attach to an oxygen molecule (O₂), playing an essential role in the catalytic function of hemoglobin.

Innovation Details

Inspired by the human body’s internal energy generation and delivery mechanisms, researchers at AZUL Energy developed the innovative AZUL as a clean alternative to PGM-based catalysts and to enhance catalytic performance.

Due to the complexity of hemoglobin’s heme structure with its many chemical substituents, it is challenging to mass-produce. So, AZUL Energy researchers found a way to mimic only one region of heme, the FeN4 active site, which serves as the essence of heme’s structure and catalytic function. In their synthetic catalyst, the researchers replaced the fragile porphyrin framework of natural heme with a more durable phthalocyanine framework, and added an azaphthalocyanine, or “aza” group, to prevent aggregation and further enhance performance.

The hemoglobin-inspired structure and geometry of the AZUL catalyst now lends to its improved longevity and energy storage performance, with applications to fuel cells, water electrolyzers, and LDES (long-duration energy storage) devices. The discovery also led the company to establish a unique supply and production pathway to minimize environmental harm. Unlike traditional PGM catalysts, AZUL catalysts produce considerably less CO₂ during the manufacturing process, dramatically reducing their environmental impact.

AZUL Energy catalysts.

Image: Jessah Serafini /

AZUL Energy CEO, Koju Ito, with VP and COO, Masayuki Hayashi.

The Human Factor

AZUL Energy’s journey began two years before its official founding, sparked by passionate researchers who made a breakthrough poised to transform the future of energy. At the heart of energy devices like fuel cells lies the oxygen conversion reaction, a critical process that demanded innovation. In a laboratory dedicated to biomimetic materials, researchers drew inspiration from hemoglobin’s remarkable ability to adsorb and desorb oxygen, exploring its potential as a catalyst for oxygen conversion. This unique lab brought together a molecular design mirroring hemoglobin’s structure and the expertise of electrochemists, fostering a synergy that unlocked unprecedented possibilities. Through extensive testing, they identified a molecule with exceptional activity for oxygen conversion, setting a new standard for performance. With its groundbreaking capabilities rigorously validated, AZUL Energy was established in 2019, bringing the researchers’ vision to reality.

Ray of Hope Accelerator

The Ray of Hope Accelerator supports an annual cohort of ten high-impact nature-inspired startups representing various sectors and regions addressing the world’s biggest environmental and sustainability challenges. The accelerator builds upon years of experience as the Ray of Hope Prize (2020-2023), which was created in honor of Ray C. Anderson, a business and sustainability leader and founder of Interface, Inc. AZUL Energy, Inc. was a participant in the 2024 Ray of Hope Accelerator.

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