Additively Manufactured Micro-/Multi-Scale Porous Copper: Enhanced Mass Transport for High-Performance Hydrogen...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Green Energy

Background:

• The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for sustainable hydrogen fuel production.
• Mass transport limitations often hinder the efficiency of HER electrocatalysts.
• Developing advanced electrode materials is essential to overcome these kinetic barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel electrode with enhanced mass transport properties for the HER.
• To investigate the relationship between electrode architecture, surface properties, and HER performance.
• To provide a new design strategy for high-performance electrocatalysts in gas-evolving reactions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a hierarchically porous copper substrate using additive manufacturing.
• Electrodeposition of a nickel layer onto the copper substrate to form the Ni@Cu-2.0 electrode.
• Electrochemical characterization of HER performance and stability.
• Surface property analysis, including superaerophobicity and superhydrophilicity.

Main Results:

• The Ni@Cu-2.0 electrode demonstrated outstanding HER performance, achieving 10 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 123 mV.
• The electrode exhibited excellent stability, maintaining performance for over 50 hours.
• The electrode surface displayed superaerophobic and superhydrophilic properties, facilitating efficient gas bubble release and electrolyte access.
• The multiporous architecture was identified as the key factor for enhanced mass transport and performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed Ni@Cu-2.0 electrode offers a promising solution for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction.
• The synergistic effects of superaerophobicity, superhydrophilicity, and hierarchical porosity significantly boost HER kinetics.
• This hierarchical porous electrode design presents a novel paradigm for advancing gas-evolving electrocatalysis and green hydrogen production.