Enhancing Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis Performance through Electrospray Catalyst Deposition

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) rely on expensive noble metal catalysts like platinum, iridium, and ruthenium, hindering large-scale hydrogen technology development.
• Optimizing catalyst utilization is crucial for reducing costs without sacrificing performance in PEMWEs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an in-house electrospray deposition system for fabricating catalyst layers in PEMWE electrodes.
• To compare the performance and morphology of electrospray-deposited catalyst layers with those produced by conventional spray deposition.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of anode and cathode catalyst layers using a custom-built electrospray deposition system.
• Morphological analysis of catalyst films using advanced imaging techniques.
• Electrochemical performance testing via polarization curve measurements.

Main Results:

• Electrospray deposition resulted in smoother, more uniform catalyst films compared to conventional spray deposition.
• The improved morphology led to significantly larger electrochemically active surface areas.
• Electrolyzer performance was enhanced, with notable reductions in mass transport losses.

Conclusions:

• Electrospray deposition is a highly effective technique for engineering catalyst layers in PEMWEs.
• This method offers a pathway to reduce noble metal loading and system costs while maintaining high performance.
• The developed electrospray system advances catalyst layer fabrication for future hydrogen technologies.