Platinum group metals (PGMs) are used in a wide range of application fields such as catalysts, electrodes, medical and electrical devices, and high-temperature materials. The supply of platinum is only about 200t per year and its price drastically fluctuates depending on the economic situation. Even so, PGMs are used in industry because of their excellent properties which are difficult to obtain in alternative materials. Thus, an understanding of the mechanism that results in these properties is necessary in order to optimize the properties of PGMs, increase their lifetimes, and find alternative materials. In this paper, some attempts to increase the lifetimes of PGMs and to search for alternative materials for use as high-temperature materials, coating materials, catalyst materials, and electrode materials are reported.