Platinum group metals have favorable catalytic properties, but palladium in particular is traditionally viewed as an element that exhibits a weak reaction to light. Researchers at RMIT University Melbourne successfully demonstrated the ability of their manipulated palladium nanoparticles to absorb 99% of light. They were able to maximize light absorption of a photocatalyst structure to use the technology to power chemical reactions.

RMIT University researchers stated that the chemical manufacturing industry accounted for 28% of domestic industrial energy consumption in the United States in 2017. Globally, they found that it accounts for 10% of energy consumption and 7% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing alternative energy sources for the chemical manufacturing industry has been challenging. Research lead Daniel Gomez claims that the newly developed nano-enhanced palladium photocatalyst not only maximizes light absorption but is also scalable, making it a plausible solution for the energy-intensive chemical manufacturing industry.

Palladium is considered one of the newest precious metals. It is a lustrous naturally bright white metallic element that has found industrial uses as a replacement for its more dense relative, platinum. Both elements are rare and expensive. However, researchers at RMIT found that the cost of their photocatalyst will not be an issue since the nano-enhanced palladium film used on their structure is just 4 nm thick.

While the focus of their research was to create a photocatalyst for the chemical manufacturing industry, they also found that the new technology could provide value in solar-powered desalination processes and in the production of next-generation infrared cameras.