Iron instead of precious metals https://www.mpg.de/5860285/iron_aluminium_catalyst
An iron-aluminium compound could replace a palladium-based catalyst for the catalytic semi-hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene. Al13Fe4, identified by scientists working with J. Grin of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids and R. Schlögl of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in knowledge-based catalysis research, could reduce the cost of plastics, as the selective hydrogenation of acetylene is an important step in polyethylene production.
They plan to use this same procedure to search for catalysts for other reactions