A membrane-free flow electrolyzer operating at high current density using earth-abundant catalysts for water splitting

Xiaoyu Yan, Jasper Biemolt, Kai Zhao, Yang Zhao, Xiaojuan Cao, Ying Yang, Xiaoyu Wu, Gadi Rothenberg and Ning Yan ()
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Xiaoyu Yan: Wuhan University
Jasper Biemolt: Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam
Kai Zhao: Wuhan University
Yang Zhao: Wuhan University
Xiaojuan Cao: Wuhan University
Ying Yang: Wuhan University of Technology
Xiaoyu Wu: Wuhan University
Gadi Rothenberg: Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam
Ning Yan: Wuhan University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Electrochemical water splitting is one of the most sustainable approaches for generating hydrogen. Because of the inherent constraints associated with the architecture and materials, the conventional alkaline water electrolyzer and the emerging proton exchange membrane electrolyzer are suffering from low efficiency and high materials/operation costs, respectively. Herein, we design a membrane-free flow electrolyzer, featuring a sandwich-like architecture and a cyclic operation mode, for decoupled overall water splitting. Comprised of two physically-separated compartments with flowing H2-rich catholyte and O2-rich anolyte, the cell delivers H2 with a purity >99.1%. Its low internal ohmic resistance, highly active yet affordable bifunctional catalysts and efficient mass transport enable the water splitting at current density of 750 mA cm−2 biased at 2.1 V. The eletrolyzer works equally well both in deionized water and in regular tap water. This work demonstrates the opportunity of combining the advantages of different electrolyzer concepts for water splitting via cell architecture and materials design, opening pathways for sustainable hydrogen generation.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24284-5

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