Classification and technical target of water electrolysis for hydrogen production

Continuous efforts are underway to reduce carbon emissions worldwide in response to global climate change.Water electrolysis technology,in conjunction with renewable energy,is considered the most feasible hydrogen production technology based on the viable possibility of large-scale hydrogen production and the zero-carbon-emission nature of the process.However,for hydrogen produced via water electrolysis systems to be utilized in various fields in practice,the unit cost of hydrogen production must be reduced to$1/kg H_(2).To achieve this unit cost,technical targets for water electrolysis have been suggested regarding components in the system.In this paper,the types of water electrolysis systems and the limitations of water electrolysis system components are explained.We suggest guideline with recent trend for achieving this technical target and insights for the potential utilization of water electrolysis technology.

Generation of input spectrum for electrolysis stack degradation test applied to wind power PEM hydrogen production

Hydrogen production by proton exchange membrane electrolysis has good fluctuation adaptability,making it suitable for hydrogen production by electrolysis in fluctuating power sources such as wind power.However,current research on the durability of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers is insufficient.Studying the typical operating conditions of wind power electrolysis for hydrogen production can provide boundary conditions for performance and degradation tests of electrolysis stacks.In this study,the operating condition spectrum of an electrolysis stack degradation test cycle was proposed.Based on the rate of change of the wind farm output power and the time-averaged peak-valley difference,a fluctuation output power sample set was formed.The characteristic quantities that played an important role in the degradation of the electrolysis stack were selected.Dimensionality reduction of the operating data was performed using principal component analysis.Clustering analysis of the data segments was completed using an improved Gaussian mixture clustering algorithm.Taking the annual output power data of wind farms in Northwest China with a sampling rate of 1 min as an example,the cyclic operating condition spectrum of the proton-exchange membrane electrolysis stack degradation test was constructed.After preliminary simulation analysis,the typical operating condition proposed in this paper effectively reflects the impact of the original curve on the performance degradation of the electrolysis stack.This study provides a method for evaluating the degradation characteristics and system efficiency of an electrolysis stack due to fluctuations in renewable energy.

Hydrogen generation with acid/alkaline amphoteric water electrolysis

To reduce the energy consumption of the electrolytic hydrogen generation process, we propose a novel approach to generate hydrogen with acidic/alkaline amphoteric water electrolysis, wherein hydrogen is produced inside an acidic solution and oxygen evolved under alkaline condition, and a membrane is employed in the middle of the electrolyzer to restrain neutralization. The electrode polarization is greatly reduced due to the specific arrangement of the acidic/alkaline amphoteric electrolyzer. The rate of hydrogen production achieves over four times higher than that of the alkaline aqueous solution at 2.2 V, and the energy consumption is reduced approximately 30% under the current density of 200 m A/cm ^2. The investigation of transmembrane potential drop indicates water splitting on the membrane surfaces, which compensates for acid or alkaline loss on-site and maintains the concentration approximately constant during electrolysis process. The acidic/alkaline amphoteric water electrolysis is promising as an energy saving, clean and sustainable hydrogen production technology.

Hydrogen generation from polyvinyl alcohol-contaminated wastewater by a process of supercritical water gasification

Gasification of polyvinyl alcohol （PVA）-contaminated wastewater in supercritical water （SCW） was investigated in a continuous flow reactor at 723-873 K, 20-36 MPa and residence time of 20-450 s. The gas and liquid products were analyzed by GC/TCD, and TOC analyzer. The main gas products were H2, CH4, CO and CO2. Pressure change had no significant influence on gasification efficiency. Higher temperature and longer residence time enhanced gasification efficiency, and lower temperature favored the production of H2. The effects of KOH catalyst on gas product composition were studied, and gasification efficiency were analyzed. The TOC removal efficiency （RTOC）, carbon gasification ratio （RCG） and hydrogen gasification ratio （RHG） were up to 96.00%, 95.92% and 126.40% at 873 K and 60 s, respectively, which suggests PVA can be completely gasified in SCW. The results indicate supercritical water gasification for hydrogen generation is a promising process for the treatment ofPVA wastewater.

Production of Green Hydrogen by Efficient and Economic Electrolysis of Water with Super-alloy Nanowire Type Electrocatalysts

Green hydrogen production from the electrolysis of water has good appli­cation prospect due to its renewability.The applied voltage of 1.6-2.2V is required in the traditional actual water electrolysis process although the the­oretical decomposition potential of electrolyzing water is 1.23V.The high overpotential in the electrode reaction results in the high energy-consuming for the water electrolysis processes.The overpotentials of the traditional Ru,Ir and Pt based electrocatalysts are respectively 0.3V,0.4V and 0.5V,furthermore use of the Pt,Ir and Ru precious metal catalysts also result in high cost of the water electrolysis process.For minimizing the overpoten­tials in water electrolysis,a novel super-alloy nanowire electrocatalysts have been discovered and developed for water splitting in the present pa­per.It is of significance that the overpotential for the water electrolysis on the super-alloy nanowire electrocatalyst is almost zero.The actual voltage required in the electrolysis process is reduced to 1.3V by using the novel electrocatalyst system with zero overpotential.The utilization of the su­per-alloy nanowire type electrocatalyst instead of the traditional Pt,Ir and Ru precious metal catalysts is the solution to reduce energy consumption and capital cost in water electrolysis to generate hydrogen and oxygen.

Development of advanced anion exchange membrane from the view of the performance of water electrolysis cell

Green hydrogen produced by water electrolysis combined with renewable energy is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density with zero-carbon emissions.Among water electrolysis technologies,the anion exchange membrane(AEM) water electrolysis has gained intensive attention and is considered as the next-generation emerging technology due to its potential advantages,such as the use of low-cost non-noble metal catalysts,the relatively mature stack assembly process,etc.However,the AEM water electrolyzer is still in the early development stage of the kW-level stack,which is mainly attributed to severe performance decay caused by the core component,i.e.,AEM.Here,the review comprehensively presents the recent progress of advanced AEM from the view of the performance of water electrolysis cells.Herein,fundamental principles and critical components of AEM water electrolyzers are introduced,and work conditions of AEM water electrolyzers and AEM performance improvement strategies are discussed.The challenges and perspectives are also analyzed.

Recent advances and future prospects on Ni_(3)S_(2)-Based electrocatalysts for efficient alkaline water electrolysis

Green hydrogen(H_(2))produced by renewable energy powered alkaline water electrolysis is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density with zero-carbon emissions.However,efficient and economic H_(2) production by alkaline water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Therefore,it is imperative to design and fabricate high-active and low-cost non-precious metal catalysts to improve the HER and OER performance,which affects the energy efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis.Ni_(3)S_(2) with the heazlewoodite structure is a potential electrocatalyst with near-metal conductivity due to the Ni–Ni metal network.Here,the review comprehensively presents the recent progress of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrocatalysis.Herein,the HER and OER mechanisms,performance evaluation criteria,preparation methods,and strategies for performance improvement of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts are discussed.The challenges and perspectives are also analyzed.

Water electrolysis based on renewable energy for hydrogen production

As an energy storage medium,hydrogen has drawn the attention of research institutions and industry over the past decade,motivated in part by developments in renewable energy,which have led to unused surplus wind and photovoltaic power.Hydrogen production from water electrolysis is a good option to make full use of the surplus renewable energy.Among various technologies for producing hydrogen,water electrolysis using electricity from renewable power sources shows greatpromise.To investigate the prospects of water electrolysis for hydrogen production,this review compares different water electrolysis processes,i.e.,alkaline water electrolysis,proton exchange membrane water electrolysis,solid oxide water electrolysis,and alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolysis.The ion transfer mechanisms,operating characteristics,energy consumption,and industrial products of different water electrolysis apparatus are introduced in this review.Prospects for new water electrolysis technologies are discussed.

Hydrogen generation from ammonia electrolysis on bifunctional platinum nanocubes electrocatalysts

The ammonia electrolysis is a highly efficient and energy-saving method for ultra-pure hydrogen generation, which highly relies on electrocatalytic performance of electrocatalysts. In this work, high-quality platinum(Pt) nanocubes(Pt-NCs) with 4.5 nm size are achieved by facile hydrothermal synthesis. The physical morphology and structure of Pt-NCs are exhaustively characterized, revealing that Pt-NCs with special {100} facets have excellent uniformity, good dispersity and high crystallinity. Meanwhile, the electrocatalytic performance of Pt-NCs for ammonia electrolysis are carefully investigated in alkaline solutions, which display outstanding electroactivity and stability for both ammonia electrooxidation reaction(AEOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) in KOH solution. Furthermore, a symmetric Pt-NCs||Pt-NCs ammonia electrolyzer based on bifunctional Pt-NCs electrocatalyst is constructed, which only requires 0.68 V electrolysis voltage for hydrogen generation. Additionally, the symmetric Pt-NCs||Pt-NCs ammonia electrolyzer has excellent reversible switch capability for AEOR at anode and HER at cathode, showing outstanding alternating operation ability for ammonia electrolysis.

Towards high-performance and robust anion exchange membranes(AEMs)for water electrolysis:Super-acid-catalyzed synthesis of AEMs

The increasing demand for hydrogen energy to address environmental issues and achieve carbon neutrality has elevated interest in green hydrogen production,which does not rely on fossil fuels.Among various hydrogen production technologies,anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer(AEMWE)has emerged as a next-generation technology known for its high hydrogen production efficiency and its ability to use non-metal catalysts.However,this technology faces significant challenges,particularly in terms of the membrane durability and low ionic conductivity.To address these challenges,research efforts have focused on developing membranes with a new backbone structure and anion exchange groups to enhance durability and ionic conductivity.Notably,the super-acid-catalyzed condensation(SACC)synthesis method stands out due to its user convenience,the ability to create high molecular weight(MW)polymers,and the use of oxygen-tolerant organic catalysts.Although the synthesis of anion exchange membranes(AEMs)using the SACC method began in 2015,and despite growing interest in this synthesis approach,there remains a scarcity of review papers focusing on AEMs synthesized using the SACC method.The review covers the basics of SACC synthesis,presents various polymers synthesized using this method,and summarizes the development of these polymers,particularly their building blocks including aryl,ketone,and anion exchange groups.We systematically describe the effects of changes in the molecular structure of each polymer component,conducted by various research groups,on the mechanical properties,conductivity,and operational stability of the membrane.This review will provide insights into the development of AEMs with superior performance and operational stability suitable for water electrolysis applications.

Experimental Study of Plasma Under-liquid Electrolysis in Hydrogen Generation

The application and characteristics of relatively big volume plasma produced with cathodic glow discharges taking place across a gaseous envelope over the cathode which was dipped into electrolyte in hydrogen generation were studied. A critical investigation of the influence of methanol concentration and voltage across the circuit on the composition and power consumption per cubic meter of cathode liberating gas was carried out. The course of plasma under-liquid electrolysis has the typical characteristics of glow discharge electrolysis. The cathode liberating gas was in substantial excess of the Faraday law value. When the voltage across the circuit was equal to 550 V,the volume of cathodic gas with sodium carbonate solution was equal to 16.97 times the Faraday law value. The study showed that methanol molecules are more active than water molecules. The methanol molecules were decomposed at the plasma-catholyte interface by the radicals coming out the plasma mantle. Energy consumption per cubic meter of cathodic gases (WV) decreased while methanol concentration of the electrolytes increased. When methanol concentration equaled 5% (-),WV was 10.381×103 kJ/m3,less than the corresponding theoretic value of conventional water electrolysis method. The cathodic liberating gas was a mixture of hydrogen,carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide with over 95% hydrogen,if methanol concentration was more than 15% (-). The present research work revealed an innovative application of glow discharge and a new highly efficient hydrogen generation method,which depleted less resource and energy than normal electrolysis and is environmentally friendly.

Efficiency of Aluminium and Copper Coated Aluminium Electrode in Hydrogen Fuel Generation from Rain Water

Water electrolysis is considered as the most capable and old technology for hydrogen fuel preparation. Electrolysis needs external electrical energy through electrodes to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. An efficient electrolysis requires suitable electrodes to minimize potential drop. In this study Aluminium and Copper Coated Aluminium were used as different combination of Anodes and Cathodes to find out more efficient electrodes combination. NaCl solution in rain water was taken as electrolyte. Rain water was taken to avoid ionic impedance of tap water and expenses of distilled water. In this study, the most efficient electrode combination was Copper Coated Aluminium (anode)-Aluminium (cathode) and gave the highest efficiency of hydrogen production to about 11% at normal temperature for very low concentration of NaCl (0.051 M) which increased with temperature, up to 29% upon rising of temp to 60°C. It was showed that higher concentration of electrolyte would surge the efficiency significantly. If the supplied heat could be provided from any waste heat sources then this study would be more efficient. However, current research evaluated the technical feasibility of this electrode combination for producing hydrogen with electrolysis of rain water utilizing electricity and modified electrodes.

Hydrogen Generation by Splitting H2O Molecule on the Pt6Cu Cluster

Seven reaction paths for hydrogen generation from water molecule with Pt6Cu cluster are identified, based on the density functional theory with exchange-correlation functional in Becke＇s three-parameter form. The complex structures of the reactant H2O@Pt6Cu and the structures of the products H2＋O@Pt6Cu and H＋OH@Pt6Cu on various adsorption sites of Pt6Cu cluster are optimized and the energy stability of the structures is confirmed by frequency analysis. The geometries of the transition states and the intrinsic reaction coordinate are also determined at the same theoretical level. The energy barrier for each reaction is calculated. The results demonstrate that the Pt6Cu cluster can abstract one H atom from H2O molecule with one step reaction by overcoming a moderate energy barrier. These findings can be helpful for understanding the mechanism to produce hydrogen from a water molecule with Pt6Cu cluster.

Shining Light on Anion-Mixed Nanocatalysts for Efficient Water Electrolysis: Fundamentals, Progress, and Perspectives

Hydrogen with high energy density and zero carbon emission is widely acknowledged as the most promising candidate toward world’s carbon neutrality and future sustainable eco-society.Water-splitting is a constructive technology for unpolluted and high-purity H2 production,and a series of non-precious electrocatalysts have been developed over the past decade.To further improve the catalytic activities,metal doping is always adopted to modulate the 3d-electronic configuration and electron-donating/accepting(e-DA)properties,while for anion doping,the electronegativity variations among different non-metal elements would also bring some potential in the modulations of e-DA and metal valence for tuning the performances.In this review,we summarize the recent developments of the many different anion-mixed transition metal compounds(e.g.,nitrides,halides,phosphides,chalcogenides,oxyhydroxides,and borides/borates)for efficient water electrolysis applications.First,we have introduced the general information of water-splitting and the description of anion-mixed electrocatalysts and highlighted their complementary functions of mixed anions.Furthermore,some latest advances of anion-mixed compounds are also categorized for hydrogen and oxygen evolution electrocatalysis.The rationales behind their enhanced electrochemical performances are discussed.Last but not least,the challenges and future perspectives are briefly proposed for the anion-mixed water dissociation catalysts.

Novel Au nanoparticles-inlaid titanium paper for PEM water electrolysis with enhanced interfacial electrical conductivity

Proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis(PEM WE)is a particularly promising technology for renewable hydrogen produc-tion.However,the excessive passivation of the gas diffusion layer(GDL)will seriously affect the high surface-contact resistance and result in energy losses.Thus,a mechanism for improving the conductivity and interface stability of the GDL is an urgent issue.In this work,we have prepared a hydrophilic and corrosion resistant conductive composite protective coating.The polydopamine(PDA)film on the Ti surface,which was obtained via the solution oxidation method,ensured that neither micropores nor pinholes existed in the final hybrid coatings.In-situ reduced gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)improved the conductivity to achieve the desired interfacial contact resistance and further enhanced the corrosion resistance.The surface composition of the treated samples was investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmis-sion electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).The results indicated that the optimized reaction conditions included a pH value of 3 of HAuCl_(4) solution with PDA deposition(48 h)on papers and revealed the lowest con-tact resistance(0.5 mΩ·cm^(2))and corrosion resistance(0.001μA·cm^(−2))in a 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4)+2 ppm F−solution(1.7 V vs.RHE)among all the modified specimens,where RHE represents reversible hydrogen electrode.These findings indicated that the Au-PDA coating is very appropriate for the modification of Ti GDLs in PEM WE systems.

Ternary layered double hydroxide oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst for anion exchange membrane alkaline seawater electrolysis

Anion exchange membrane(AEM)water electrolyzers are promising energy devices for the production of clean hydrogen from seawater.However,the lack of active and robust electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)severely impedes the development of this technology.In this study,a ternary layered double hydroxide(LDH)OER electrocatalyst(NiFeCo-LDH)is developed for high-performance AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzers.The AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer catalyzed by the NiFeCo LDH shows high seawater electrolysis performance(0.84 A/cm^(2)at 1.7 Vcell)and high hydrogen production efficiency(77.6%at 0.5 A/cm^(2)),thus outperforming an electrolyzer catalyzed by a benchmark IrO_(2)electrocatalyst.The NiFeCo-LDH electrocatalyst greatly improves the kinetics of the AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer,consequently reducing its activation loss and leading to high performance.Based on the results,this NiFeCo-LDH-catalyzed AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer can likely surpass the energy conversion targets of the US Department of Energy.

Electron modulation of cobalt carbonate hydroxide by Mo doping for urea-assisted hydrogen production

Combining urea oxidation reaction(UOR) with hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is an effective method for energy saving and highly efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Herein, molybdenumincorporated cobalt carbonate hydroxide nanoarrays(CoxMoyCH) are designed and synthesized as a bifunctional catalyst towards UOR and HER. Benefiting from the Mo doping, the dispersed nanoarray structure and redistributed electron density, the CoxMoyCH catalyst display outstanding catalytic performance and durability for both HER and UOR, affording the overpotential of 82 m V for HER and delivering a low potential of the 1.33 V for UOR(vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) to attain a current density of 10 m A cm^(-2), respectively. Remarkably, when CoxMoyCH was applied as bifunctional catalyst in a twoelectrode electrolyzer, a working voltage of 1.40 V is needed in urea-assisted water electrolysis at10 m A cm^(-2) and without apparent decline for 40 h, outperforming the working voltage of 1.51 V in conventional water electrolysis.

Copper foam-derived electrodes as efficient electrocatalysts for conventional and hybrid water electrolysis

Electrochemical water splitting has been demonstrated as a promising technology for the renewable generation of green hydrogen from water.Despite the extensive progress in materials science,one particular challenge for further development towards industrial application lies in the rational design and exploitation of efficient and cost-effective materials,especially oxygen evolution reaction(OER)electrocatalysts at the anode.In addition,attempts to replace the OER with other more oxidizable anode reactions are being evaluated as a groundbreaking strategy for generating hydrogen at lower potentials and reducing overall energy costs while producing valuable chemicals simultaneously.Compared with Fe/Co/Ni-based compounds,Cu-based materials have not received extensive research attention for electrode designs despite their high conductivity and abundant earth reserves.In this review,combining with the advantages of a three-dimensional network structure of metal foams,we summarize recent progress on Cu foam(CF)-derived materials as efficient electrocatalysts towards pure water electrolysis and hybrid water electrolysis.The advantages of CF and design strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic activity and operational durability are presented first.Catalyst design and fabrication strategies are then highlighted and the structure-activity relationship is also discussed.Finally,we propose challenges and perspectives on self-supported electrodes beyond CF-derived materials.

Bifunctional PdPt bimetallenes for formate oxidation-boosted water electrolysis

Small-molecule electrooxidation-boosted water electrolysis(WE)is an energy-saving method for hydrogen(H2)production.Herein,PdPt bimetallenes(PdPt BMLs)are obtained through the simple galvanic replacement reaction.PdPt BMLs reveal 2.93-fold enhancement in intrinsic electroactivity and 4.53-fold enhancement in mass electroactivity for the formate oxidation reaction(FOR)with respect to Pd metallenes(Pd MLs)at 0.50 V potential due to the synergistic effect.Meanwhile,the introduction of Pt atoms also considerably increases the electroactivity of PdPt BMLs for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)with respect to Pd MLs in an alkaline medium,which even exceeds that with the use of commercial Pt nanocrystals.Inspired by the outstanding FOR and HER electroactivity of bifunctional PdPt BMLs,a two-electrode FOR-boosted WE system(FOR-WE)is constructed by using PdPt BMLs as the cathode and the anode.The FOR-WE system only requires an operational voltage of 0.31 V to achieve H2 production,which is 1.48 V lower than that(ca.1.79 V)with the use of the traditional WE system.