The Gas Diffusion Electrode Setup as Straightforward Testing Device for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Efficient electrocatalysts are crucial for sustainable hydrogen production and electricity generation.
• Conventional electrochemical setups (RDE, H-cells) have limitations for testing catalysts under realistic conditions.
• Gas diffusion electrode (GDE) setups offer a more relevant approach for evaluating catalysts in devices like fuel cells and electrolyzers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel GDE setup for assessing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs).
• To demonstrate the capability of the GDE setup for extracting key performance parameters of OER catalysts.
• To evaluate the suitability of different support materials for catalyst testing and stability assessments.

Main Methods:

• Development of a GDE setup for OER catalyst evaluation in PEMWEs.
• Utilizing a benchmark iridium dioxide (IrO2) catalyst deposited on a carbon gas diffusion layer (GDL).
• Employing Ti-based porous transport layers (PTLs) as an alternative support, with a hot-pressing preparation method.

Main Results:

• The GDE setup successfully measured OER mass activity and activation energy for IrO2 catalysts.
• Reasonable estimates of exchange current density were obtained within realistic catalyst loading ranges for PEMWEs.
• The carbon-based GDL proved suitable for both activity determination and short-term stability testing.

Conclusions:

• The presented GDE setup is a valuable tool for realistic catalyst evaluation in PEMWE research.
• This method helps bridge the gap between fundamental catalyst research and practical device performance.
• The GDE approach facilitates the development of more efficient and stable electrocatalysts for sustainable energy technologies.