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Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
Published on: March 10, 2023
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Making the hydrogen evolution reaction in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers even faster
Jakub Tymoczko1,2, Federico Calle-Vallejo3, Wolfgang Schuhmann1,2
1Center for Electrochemical Sciences-CES, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
Nature Communications
|March 11, 2016
Summary
Adding monolayer copper to platinum electrodes significantly boosts hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. This discovery could lower costs for hydrogen production using polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysers.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
Background:
- The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for hydrogen production but requires high platinum loadings in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysers.
- Optimizing platinum catalysts is key to reducing the cost of green hydrogen generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of copper on platinum(111) electrode activity for the HER.
- To enhance the efficiency of electrocatalytic hydrogen production.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical characterization of platinum(111) electrodes modified with monolayer copper.
- Analysis of hydrogen adsorption on platinum and copper-modified platinum surfaces.
Main Results:
- Monolayer copper significantly enhances the HER activity of platinum(111) electrodes.
- Copper in the subsurface layer weakens H-intermediate binding, leading to a twofold activity increase.
- The findings explain the higher activity of polycrystalline platinum compared to platinum(111) for HER.
Conclusions:
- Copper modification offers a promising strategy to improve platinum-based electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen production.
- This approach can help reduce platinum usage and associated costs in PEM electrolysers.
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