Most startups aspire to achieve great things, but Particle-N, a UConn-affiliated technology company, has a particularly inspiring mission.<\/p>\n
The company is preparing to enter the $19 billion, global precious-metal catalyst market and to simultaneously support the clean-energy industry in Connecticut.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have all purchased precious metals, such as gold and platinum for our loved ones, but that is not the only application for those metals,\u2019\u2019 says Al Kasani ’27 (ENG), the founder of Particle-N, and a serial entrepreneur. \u201cA large proportion of all precious metals produced in the world are converted to catalyst material for industries such as oil and gas, hydrogen, or even automobile catalytic-converter production.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Particle-N is pioneering technology that will significantly reduce the amount of precious metals needed as catalysts and consequently slash costs for those industries. By using core-shell technology, Particle-N coats an inexpensive, environmentally friendly material with precious metals while achieving the same desired reactions. The technique can reduce the amount of precious metal used by up to 70 percent.<\/p>\n
The cost of an automobile\u2019s catalytic converter, now about $2,000, could be cut in half. The combination of fewer precious metals and a lower retail price would make it less desirable to thieves.<\/p>\n
But perhaps the most impactful savings would be for green hydrogen generation, which now has a price tag between $400,000 and $870,000. Particle-N believes it could cut 30 percent from that expense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy solving problems,\u201d says Kasani, a UConn Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering. \u201cI also have a great team with sharp minds. I have complete faith in my team. I tell people: \u2018You’re going to hear about us!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Startup Vying for Top UConn Business Prize<\/strong><\/p>\n On Tuesday, Particle-N and five other UConn-affiliated startups will compete for more than $50,000 in prize money during the Wolff New Venture Competition, the School of Business\u2019 premier entrepreneurship event.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re confident in our technology and our business model. It\u2019s exciting to be pitching at the Wolff competition,\u2019\u2019 says Reiner Reichenberger ’24 (BUS), Particle-N co-founder and business manager. \u201cWe have attracted a great deal of interest, especially from the hydrogen industry. Particle-N already has potential customers that have expressed interest in placing orders worth around $5 million, as soon as we have the production capacity.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we have this core-shell technology because the hydrogen industry is begging for solutions to bring down costs,\u2019\u201d Reichenberger says. \u201cConnecticut is one of the largest hubs for the hydrogen industry, and we have the potential to help companies in Connecticut grow.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Connecticut companies that might benefit from the technology include Plug Power, Doosan, and Nel Hydrogen.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started working on industrial projects from Connecticut-based hydrogen companies at UConn\u2019s research labs, I realized the most significant barrier to these businesses is the high cost of precious metal catalysts,\u201d says Kasani, who works in UConn President Radenka Maric’s lab at the Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2).<\/p>\n \u201cHydrogen is the future energy carrier, and Connecticut is at the forefront of its development,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cBy lowering the cost of green hydrogen production, we will become a major player in the sustainability game as hydrogen replaces oil and gas as the primary energy carrier.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Particle-N team member Michael Dunn ’24 (ENG), an undergraduate chemical and biomedical engineering student, has experience working with catalysts in the hydrogen industry and last summer he interned at the U.S. Department of Energy. There, he developed a deeper appreciation of the challenges of producing clean energy. Particle-N\u2019s technology offers a significant stepping-stone toward that transition, he says.<\/p>\n A Clear Path Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n Particle-N is advanced in its business development. Its prototypes are complete, and the company is receiving patent protection. It has won several entrepreneurship competitions at UConn, and elsewhere, and received thousands in funding. With some legal roadblocks now resolved, the startup\u2019s leadership is eager to move forward.<\/p>\n This summer, Kasani and Reichenberger participated in the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI)\u2019s Summer Fellowship startup accelerator, where they benefitted from a myriad of business advice, including recommendations for further developing their business plan, attracting financing, and preparing for launch.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Rory McGloin\u2019s classes, I learned how to tell my story in an easily digestible way. Also, Michelle Cote, an instructor for CCEI, helped us to polish our business model. And Alycia Chrosniak, Assistant Director of Brand & Venture Development at CCEI, always helped us with her insights,\u2019\u2019 Kasani says. \u201cBefore, my stories were too complicated. I learned to articulate complicated concepts in a way that would make sense for those who don\u2019t work in this industry.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI saw vast improvements to our work and the connections we made at CCEI were invaluable. They presented a very comprehensive program and gave us a clear path forward,\u2019\u2019 Reichenberger says.<\/p>\n Entrepreneur Has Already Found Fame<\/strong><\/p>\n Particle-N isn\u2019t Kasani\u2019s first invention. Earlier this year he received publicity for the creation of a new, self-cooling camping tent. Using a proprietary fabric, and a single gallon of water, the cooling technology can last for up to 24 hours.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking into nature is the key to many of our problems,\u2019\u2019 he said at the time. \u201cPlants wick water from the ground and then sweat to cool themselves, and they get their required energy from the sun. What I did was simply to find a material that could do the same job.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n