PGM-Free Earth-Abundant Electrocatalyst Patent Snapshot
The patent corpus for PGM-free and earth-abundant electrocatalysts is extremely small, with 4 patent families in scope concentrated entirely among academic and research-foundation filers. Ohio State Innovation Foundation holds the leading position, and all filings are concentrated in the United States, signalling that this niche remains at an early, pre-commercial stage of IP development.
Ohio State leads a highly concentrated, research-institution-dominated field
Ohio State Innovation Foundation is the top filer, holding 2 of the 4 patent records in the ranked corpus. The remaining 2 patent records are divided equally among Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CENS), and William Marsh Rice University — all academic or public research entities.
The top five filers collectively account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, reflecting an extremely tight concentration with no commercial-industrial players yet visible in this corpus. There is effectively no tier gap between leader and challengers given the small absolute volumes.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State Innovation Foundation | 2 | |
| 2 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | 1 | |
| 3 | CENT FOR NANO & SOFT MATTER SCI (CENS) | 1 | |
| 4 | William Marsh Rice University | 1 |
The dominance of university technology-transfer offices and research foundations implies that the primary IP activity is basic and translational research, rather than product-level commercialization. Entrants from industry would currently face a relatively uncrowded patent evidence snapshot.
Filing counts for 2024–2026 should be treated as provisional; standard publication lags of 18–24 months mean additional families from this period are likely not yet captured. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity spiked in 2017 then lay dormant before modest signs of renewal in 2023–2024
The annual filing trend and technology composition together illustrate a field that produced its initial filings in 2017, then entered a multi-year gap before isolated new filings appeared in 2023 and 2024. The technology branch mix shows electrolytic production (C25B) as the visible classification, with catalysis processes and fuel-cell applications as secondary branches.
Annual filing trend
Two records were filed in 2017, followed by six consecutive years of zero activity, then single filings in 2023 and 2024. The 2023–2024 uptick is tentative given publication lag and the small absolute numbers; it should not be read as the start of a sustained growth wave without further evidence.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) accounts for the largest share of classified records, reflecting a focus on electrochemical synthesis and electrode materials. B01J (chemical and physical processes, catalysis) and H01M (batteries and fuel cells) appear as secondary branches, indicating that catalyst design is being pursued for both electrolysis and energy-storage applications.
↗ 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.
A new class of electrocatalysts
Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to electrocatalysts that include a surface and a plurality of catalytically active sites associated with the surface. The catalytically active sites include individually dispersed metallic atoms that are associated with heteroatoms. In some embodiments, the surface includes graphene oxide, the heteroatoms… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A new class of electrocatalysts | 49 |
| 2 | Catalytic Materials and Methods of Making and Usin… | 12 |
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.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Ohio State Innovation Foundation
Ohio State Innovation Foundation holds 2 patent records, the largest share in this corpus. Its technology focus spans B01J 19 (chemical and physical processes), C25B 11, and C25B 3 (electrolytic production of compounds), indicating a dual emphasis on electrocatalyst materials and electrochemical process design. Momentum data does not show a recent uplift, suggesting its core filings date to the 2017 cohort.
patent records: 2Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation holds 1 patent record and is classified as a new entrant based on recent filing momentum. Its technology focus is concentrated in C25B 1, C25B 11, and C25B 15 — all within electrolytic production — pointing to a narrower but targeted interest in electrochemical synthesis. Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CENS) also holds 1 patent record and is similarly a new entrant, with a complementary focus spanning B01J 35 and C25B branches.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
The current corpus contains 4 patent families in scope. This is a very small dataset and likely reflects both the early stage of IP development in this niche and the specificity of the search definition.
Ohio State Innovation Foundation is the top filer with 2 patent records, followed by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CENS), and William Marsh Rice University, each with 1 patent record.
Based on the available evidence, all four ranked applicants are universities or public research foundations. No industrial or corporate entity appears in the corpus, indicating that commercial IP development in this specific niche has not yet begun in earnest.
C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) is the visible IPC class, followed by B01J (chemical and physical processes, catalysis) and H01M (batteries and fuel cells). This reflects a primary focus on electrochemical synthesis and electrode materials.
All 4 patent records are filed in the United States. One additional filing has been made in India (IN202441042568A). No filings are recorded in Europe, China, Japan, or other major patent jurisdictions, leaving broad international white space.
Two records were filed in 2017, followed by six years of zero activity, then single filings in 2023 and 2024. The recent uptick is tentative given standard publication lags of 18–24 months and should not be interpreted as a confirmed acceleration without additional data.
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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.