Electrocatalyst Design (Active Site) Patent Landscape 2026
Active-site electrocatalyst patenting is in a clear growth phase, with 46 patent families in scope and a 144% rise in recent filings, led by public research institutions rather than large industrials. Activity is fragmented across many small filers, with the United States as the dominant filing jurisdiction and electrolytic production of compounds as the core technology class.
Research institutions lead a fragmented, fast-growing field
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, India) holds the top position with 4 patent records, followed by a cluster of academic and national-lab filers — CNRS, the University of Toronto, Yeda R&D, KAIST, Hunt Energy Enterprises, Saudi Arabian Oil Co., Université Paris Cité, and the National Research Council of Canada — each with 3 patent records.
The top five filers account for 22% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, indicating a highly fragmented competitive landscape with no single dominant incumbent. The gap between the leader (4 patent records) and the broad mid-tier (2–3 patent records) is narrow, reinforcing the open, multi-actor character of the field.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 4 | |
| 2 | French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | 3 | |
| 3 | The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | 3 | |
| 4 | YEDA RES & DEV CO LTD | 3 | |
| 5 | KOREA ADVANCED INST OF SCI & TECH | 3 | |
| 6 | Hunt Energy Enterprises LLC | 3 | |
| 7 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | 3 | |
| 8 | Université Paris Cité | 3 | |
| 9 | National Research Council of Canada | 3 | |
| 10 | Northeastern University (US) | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SAN… | 2 | |
| 12 | The University of Sydney | 2 | |
| 13 | UNM Rainforest Innovations | 2 | |
| 14 | NewSouth Innovations Pty Ltd | 2 | |
| 15 | Regents of the University of California | 2 | |
| 16 | Electrofueled Inc. | 2 | |
| 17 | The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | 2 | |
| 18 | Gangadharagowda P H | 1 | |
| 19 | Regents of the University of Michigan | 1 | |
| 20 | Yale University | 1 |
The dominance of academic and government-backed institutions — rather than large industrial companies — signals that fundamental active-site science is still the primary locus of IP creation. This leaves commercial actors room to build proprietary positions as the technology matures toward application.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are understated due to standard patent publication lag; the true activity level in 2025–2026 is likely higher than figures currently show. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Rising annual filings anchored in electrolytic production, with adjacent branches emerging
The filing trend and technology composition together reveal a field accelerating in volume while remaining concentrated in one dominant IPC class, with several adjacent branches showing modest but meaningful secondary activity.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings grew from negligible levels in 2017–2019 to a visible ramp from 2020 onward, with 9 patent records in 2024 and 12 in 2025. The 2026 count of 2 is a floor, not a ceiling, given publication lag. The 144% recent growth rate confirms the field is in a sustained growth phase.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) dominates with 39 patent records, reflecting the field’s core focus on electrosynthesis active sites. B01J (chemical and physical processes and catalysis) is the main secondary class at 21 records, followed by B82Y (nanotechnology, 9 records), H01M (batteries and fuel cells, 8 records), and smaller clusters in C01G, C10G, B01D, and C01B. The spread across classes signals that active-site innovation is feeding multiple application verticals.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Unlocking new reaction pathways for electrocatalyt…
A combined plasma-electrocatalysis CO2/CO conversion system and method of using the same is described. The reactor platform is capable of delivering non-thermal plasma-activated CO2/CO to a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) to enable electrocatalytic conversion of reactive plasma species while avoiding quenching in the aqueous electrolyte. Using a co-fed… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non-Noble Metal Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Depola… | 24 |
| 2 | Metal nanoparticle electrocatlysts with confinemen… | 7 |
| 3 | Electrocatalyst comprising a crumpled transition m… | 6 |
| 4 | Robust palladium hydride catalyst for electrocatal… | 5 |
| 5 | Plasma assisted electrocatalytic conversion | 4 |
| 6 | Molecular electrocatalytic systems and methods the… | 2 |
| 7 | AgCu SINGLE-ATOM ALLOY CATALYST FOR ELECTROCATALYT… | 2 |
| 8 | 一种酞菁钴修饰的二维氢氧化钴络合物的制备方法及其产品和应用 | 2 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The field’s growth stage, fragmented ownership, and cross-sector technology reach create both entry opportunities and strategic risks for latecomers. Four structural reads are most actionable.
Early growth: rising filings, no established incumbents
The lifecycle stage is Growth, with annual filings still rising and the 144% recent-window increase not yet showing signs of plateau. The field entered meaningful volume only around 2020, meaning fundamental active-site architectures — single-atom alloys, non-noble metal catalysts, confinement-effect nanoparticles — are still being patented for the first time. Early movers filing now can anchor broad claims before the field consolidates.
Growth stageHighly fragmented: no filer holds more than 4 patent records
With the top five filers holding 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total and the leader at only 4 patent records, no single organization has established a blocking position. This fragmentation lowers freedom-to-operate risk today but also means that a coordinated filing campaign by any well-resourced actor could rapidly reshape the competitive map. Industrial entrants should monitor whether any institution begins consolidating through continuation strategies.
Open fieldCross-institutional co-filing is the dominant IP-building model
The most active co-filing pairs are Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology with Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (3 joint records), and Yeda Research and Development with CNRS (3 joint records). Secondary clusters link Yeda with Université Paris Cité, CNRS with Université Paris Cité, Sandia National Labs with UNM Rainforest Innovations, and NewSouth Innovations with the University of Sydney. These alliances show that both industry–academia and institution–institution partnerships are active IP-generation channels in this space.
Partnership-drivenUS leads filings; India and PCT routes show significant secondary activity
The United States is the leading filing jurisdiction with 19 patent records, followed by WIPO PCT at 13 and India at 10. Europe (EPO) holds 3 records and China only 2, suggesting that active-site electrocatalyst IP is not yet being pursued aggressively in China despite its general strength in catalysis research. For applicants targeting global commercialization, EPO and China represent under-filed jurisdictions relative to the field’s technical activity.
US-centricGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | 3 |
| Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. | French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | 3 |
| Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. | University of Paris | 2 |
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | University of Paris | 2 |
| National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (Sandia National Laboratories) | UNM Rainforest Innovations (STC UNM) | 2 |
| NewSouth Innovations Pty Ltd | The University of Sydney | 2 |
| Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Aramco Services Company | 1 |
| Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. | Université Paris Cité | 1 |
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | Université Paris Cité | 1 |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | Aramco Services Company | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
CSIR leads on catalyst process claims; KAIST and Saudi Aramco lead on electrolytic cell applications
The top-ranked filers divide broadly into two camps: process-and-materials specialists concentrated in B01J and a larger group anchored in C25B electrolytic production, with several new entrants building positions rapidly from a small prior base.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
CSIR holds 4 patent records, the largest share in the corpus, with technology emphasis on B01J 23, B01J 35, and B01J 37 — covering catalyst composition, morphology, and preparation methods. Its momentum is classified as a new entrant in the recent filing window, indicating that its current leadership position has been built rapidly rather than accumulated over many years. This trajectory suggests CSIR is making a deliberate push into active-site catalyst IP.
patent records: 4Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
KAIST holds 3 patent records, with strong focus on C25B 11 (electrodes and electrocatalysts for electrolytic cells) and C25B 3 (electrolytic production of organic compounds), filed in collaboration with Saudi Arabian Oil Co. Its momentum is also classified as a new entrant, reflecting recent and rapid entry. The KAIST–Saudi Aramco alliance positions this pair squarely at the intersection of academic active-site science and industrial electrochemical processing applications.
patent records: 3| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hunt Energy Enterprises LLC | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| NewSouth Innovations Pty Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| The University of Sydney | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in nanotechnology, energy storage, and hydrocarbon refining
Several IPC classes appear at low patent record counts relative to the dominant C25B class, making them worth examining for potential whitespace. These observations reflect relative sparsity only; technical and commercial viability requires separate validation.
B82Y · Nanotechnology applications
With 9 patent records and an 8% share among the top IPC classes, nanotechnology applications represent the most populated of the adjacent branches. Active-site design at the nanoscale — including single-atom catalysts, quantum-confinement effects, and nanostructured supports — is a technically active area with direct relevance to efficiency and selectivity improvements. The moderate count suggests that while nanotechnology is being applied, systematic IP coverage of specific active-site nanoarchitectures remains sparse. Applicants with nanomaterial synthesis capabilities could build differentiated positions here.
Search this in Eureka →C10G · Hydrocarbon oils and refining
With only 5 patent records and a 5% share, the hydrocarbon refining branch — represented primarily by Hunt Energy Enterprises’ C10G 2 filings — is the most commercially distinctive adjacent area. Electrocatalytic upgrading of hydrocarbons is an emerging route for low-carbon refining, and the low patent density suggests limited IP crowding. Entry would require bridging electrochemical active-site expertise with refining process engineering, a cross-domain capability that few current filers appear to possess based on the corpus.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ by IPC technology route
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C25B 11 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 3 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 1 · Electrolytic production of compounds | B01J 35 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 23 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Hunt Energy Enterprises LLC | Strong · 3 | Absent | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | Strong · 3 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Strong · 3 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 2 | Strong · 3 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 46 patent families in scope. This is a relatively small and specialized corpus, reflecting the precision of the active-site focus within the broader electrocatalysis field.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, India) leads with 4 patent records, followed by a group of eight institutions each holding 3 patent records, including CNRS, the University of Toronto, Yeda R&D, KAIST, Hunt Energy Enterprises, Saudi Arabian Oil Co., Université Paris Cité, and the National Research Council of Canada.
Yes. The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage. Recent-window filings grew 144% and annual counts have risen from near zero in 2017–2018 to 9 patent records in 2024 and 12 in 2025. The 2026 count of 2 is understated due to publication lag.
The United States leads with 19 patent records, followed by WIPO PCT (13 records) and India (10 records). Europe (EPO) accounts for 3 records and China for 2 records, indicating limited Chinese filing activity despite the country’s broader strength in catalysis research.
Academic and government research institutions dominate. The top filers include CSIR, CNRS, the University of Toronto, Yeda R&D, KAIST, the National Research Council of Canada, and several universities. Industrial actors such as Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Hunt Energy Enterprises appear in the top tier but primarily through collaboration with academic partners.
The strongest co-filing pairs are KAIST with Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (3 joint records) and Yeda R&D with CNRS (3 joint records). Secondary partnerships include Yeda with Université Paris Cité, CNRS with Université Paris Cité, Sandia National Labs with UNM Rainforest Innovations, and NewSouth Innovations with the University of Sydney.
Built on Patsnap Open Platform
This report’s underlying patent dataset — filings, assignees, technology clusters — is open for developers via MCP and REST API. Free to start, 10,000 credits, no credit card required.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.