High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalytic Electrodes by Liquid Joule-Heating Growth

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient integrated catalytic electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for energy applications.
• Achieving high current densities with excellent stability in HER catalysts remains a significant challenge.
• Existing methods often struggle to balance performance, stability, and scalable preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel integrated catalytic electrode for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To investigate the performance and stability of a platinum-amorphous nickel oxide heterostructure.
• To demonstrate the practical applicability of the developed electrode in alkaline water electrolyzers.

Main Methods:

• In situ growth of a metal (Pt)-amorphous oxide (NiO) heterostructure catalyst on nickel foam using liquid Joule-heating.
• Characterization of the electrode's surface properties, including superhydrophilicity and stability.
• Testing the catalytic performance in alkaline electrolytes and evaluating its long-term stability.
• Integration into an alkaline water electrolyzer with NiFe layered double hydroxide anode for performance assessment.

Main Results:

• The Pt@NiO-Ni electrode achieved 5000 mA cm^-2 current density at only 100 mV overpotential in alkaline electrolytes.
• The electrode demonstrated remarkable stability, maintaining performance for 500 hours at 1000 mA cm^-2.
• An alkaline water electrolyzer using Pt@NiO-Ni as cathode achieved 1 A cm^-2 at 1.75 V, comparable to anion exchange membrane electrolyzers.
• The developed electrode shows strong applicability for industrial-scale current densities.

Conclusions:

• Liquid Joule-heating enables efficient in situ growth of high-performance Pt@NiO-Ni heterostructure catalysts.
• The superhydrophilic surface and robust stability of the Pt@NiO-Ni electrode are key to its superior HER performance.
• The Pt@NiO-Ni electrode offers a promising solution for efficient and stable hydrogen production in alkaline water electrolysis at industrial scales.