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Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Non-equilibrium Microwave Plasma for Efficient High Temperature Chemistry
Published on: August 1, 2017
Key Role of Lorentz Excitation in the Electromagnetic-Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Liang Cai1,2, Juntao Huo1,3, Peng Zou1,3
1CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
Abstract:
Alternating magnetic fields (AMFs) are recently demonstrated as a promising strategy to promote the electrochemical catalytic reactions. However, the underlying mechanisms are still an open question. In this work, we systematically investigated the influence of AMFs on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by using a Fe-Co-Ni-P-B magnetic catalyst. The HER catalytic efficiency is boosted significantly by AMFs, with 27% increase in current density at 20 mT. This is attributed to the enhancement of charge-transfer efficiency by Lorentz interaction with a minor contribution from the heating effect. The high magnetic permeability and skin effect of electromagnetic eddy current for the Fe-Co-Ni-P-B electrode can magnify the Lorentz effect. These findings clarify the mechanism of AMF-enhanced HER catalytic activities and open a door for designing a high-efficiency electrocatalysis system.
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