Platinum electrodes are often used in fuel cells to convert molecular oxygen to water. While effective, the need for large amounts of a precious metal does not lend itself to meeting global energy requirements sustainably. Now, writing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Ho Yu Au-Yeung, Edmund Tse and co-workers from the University of Hong Kong and the National Taiwan University have developed a catalytic system using an Earth-abundant metal with a catenane-based ligand system.