U.S. scientists found a new catalyst that can split water and generate hydrogen, which could bring down the cost of producing hydrogen gas - an important renewable and clean energy, according to a study published on Monday. 

Hydrogen gas is a massively important industrial chemical for making fuel and fertilizer, among other things, and using electrical current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen is one of the most common ways to produce it.  

But the large-scale production of hydrogen gas has been held back in part by the high cost of the precious metal catalysts, like platinum and iridium, needed to boost the efficiency of the chemical reactions. 

There has been extensive work across the world over the years to develop alternatives to the precious metal catalysts. 

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have made a breakthrough in this aspect.

The team replaced the metal catalysts in the electrolyzer with a new catalyst consisting of cobalt phosphide nanoparticles deposited on carbon to form a fine black powder, which is cheaper and operated extremely well for the entire duration of the test for more than 1,700 hours, according to the study. 

It's an indication that the new catalyst might be hardy enough for everyday use in reactions that can take place at elevated temperatures, pressures, and current densities, and in extremely acidic conditions over extended lengths of time. 

The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Nanotechnology.