A method of producing a catalyst material with nano-scale structure, the method comprising: introducing a starting powder into a nano-powder production reactor, the starting powder comprising a catalyst material; the nano-powder production reactor nano-sizing the starting powder, thereby producing a nano-powder from the starting powder, the nano-powder comprising a plurality of nano-particles, each nano-particle comprising the catalyst material; and forming a catalyst precursor material from the nano-powder, wherein the catalyst precursor material is a densified bulk porous structure comprising the catalyst material, the catalyst material having a nano-scale structure.