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Research paper published in the proceedings at the 244th ECS Meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden. Presentation made by Bastien Penninckx.
Q Li, F Wenger, B Penninckx, X Wen, J Sanchez, Ellinor Ehrnberg • October 30, 2023
ProÂton exchange memÂbrane water elecÂtrolyzÂers (PEMWE) are a core techÂnolÂoÂgy for the future green hydroÂgen proÂducÂtion marÂket. The installed powÂer for PEMWE is estiÂmatÂed to be 40 GW by 2030. The oxyÂgen evoÂluÂtion reacÂtion (OER) catÂaÂlyst on the anode side is domÂiÂnatÂed by IridÂiÂum (Ir)-based mateÂriÂals, one of the rarest noble metÂals in the crust of Earth. It is critÂiÂcal to lowÂer the loadÂing of Ir-based catÂaÂlyst to ≈ 0.1 mg Ir/​cm2 withÂout comÂproÂmisÂing the overÂall perÂforÂmance to enable the mass manÂuÂfacÂturÂing tarÂgets. It is a big chalÂlenge due to the poor elecÂtriÂcal conÂtact between the resultÂing catÂaÂlyst layÂers and the anode subÂstrate. To reach this goal, Smoltek inventÂed an advanced porous transÂport elecÂtrode (PTE) conÂcept using its proÂpriÂetary carÂbon nanofiber (CNF) techÂnolÂoÂgy and unique Ir coatÂing techÂnolÂoÂgy. An anode porous transÂport layÂer (PTL) is first modÂiÂfied by verÂtiÂcalÂly aligned CNFs to increase surÂface area, folÂlowed by coatÂing a corÂroÂsion-resisÂtant and conÂducÂtive layÂer (e.g. PlatÂinum) and a subÂseÂquent OER catÂaÂlyst layÂer. CathodÂic elecÂtrodeÂpoÂsiÂtion in a three-elecÂtrode staÂtÂic cell was perÂformed for Ir-based catÂaÂlyst depoÂsiÂtion. We demonÂstrate that with this method, the morÂpholÂoÂgy and depoÂsiÂtion process of Ir are conÂtrolÂlable at very low loadÂing amounts (≥ 0.1 mg Ir/​cm2). An Ir coatÂing layÂer can be formed on the highÂly strucÂtured CNF-based surÂface. The elecÂtrodeÂpositÂed Ir has strong adheÂsion with the CNF PTEs, resultÂing in a high elecÂtriÂcal conductivity.
This unique Ir-elecÂtrodeÂpositÂed CNF PTEs strucÂture maxÂiÂmizes the anode surÂface area and paves a new way to increase the utiÂlizaÂtion ratio of catÂaÂlyst surÂface at a low loadÂing amount, which makes it a comÂpetÂiÂtive anode mateÂrÂiÂal in today’s PEMWE market.
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