# Lila Sciences finds palladium catalysts for green hydrogen via AI lab

Digest AI · Research · published 2026-09-25T06:45:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/lila-sciences-finds-palladium-catalysts-for-green-hydrogen-via-ai-lab

## Summary

Lila Sciences announced on September 25, 2026, that its AI-driven lab identified six palladium-based catalyst families for acidic oxygen evolution in green hydrogen production. The team screened 2,942 catalysts across 53 material systems in three months, defying prior assumptions that palladium would underperform in acidic conditions. The top composition matched ruthenium’s performance in stability tests, offering a more abundant alternative to iridium and ruthenium, which are rare and costly.

The discovery came from Lila’s AI Science Factory (AISF), a fully automated workflow combining Bayesian reasoning, language models, and lab equipment. The system synthesized and tested 96 catalysts in parallel, reducing human effort by over 90%. While the catalysts are not yet commercialized, the team is testing durability at industrial scales and expanding the approach to other reactions like green ammonia production. Lila’s chief scientific officer, Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli, emphasized that the system’s automation exceeds 90%, though full autonomy remains pending robotics upgrades.

## Key points

- Lila Sciences’ AI lab screened 2,942 catalysts in three months, finding six palladium-based families for acidic OER
- Top catalyst matched ruthenium’s stability but uses palladium, easing supply constraints for green hydrogen
- AI-driven workflow automated 96 parallel tests per batch, cutting human effort by over 90%

## Why it matters

Palladium-based catalysts could reduce reliance on rare iridium and ruthenium, lowering costs and supply risks for green hydrogen. The AI-driven lab method accelerates materials discovery, potentially speeding up breakthroughs in electrocatalysis beyond hydrogen.

## Sources

1. [Lila Sciences’ AI Lab Uncovers Palladium Catalysts for Green Hydrogen](https://unite.ai/lila-sciences-ai-lab-uncovers-palladium-catalysts-for-green-hydrogen) (Unite.AI, 2026-09-25)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Lila Sciences finds palladium catalysts for green hydrogen via AI lab", 25 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/lila-sciences-finds-palladium-catalysts-for-green-hydrogen-via-ai-lab

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