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The Increasing Energy Demands and the Promise of Transportable Hydrogen Energy

The world’s energy demands are constantly increasing, and there is a growing need for clean and eco-friendly energy solutions. In this context, transportable hydrogen energy has emerged as a promising option. Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) play a crucial role in converting excess electric energy into transportable hydrogen energy through a process called water electrolysis. However, the widespread use of PEMWEs for hydrogen production is still limited due to several challenges.

A Barrier to Overcome: Slow Rates of Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and Expensive Catalysts

One of the significant obstacles faced in the deployment of PEMWEs is the slow rates of oxygen evolution reaction (OER). OER is an essential component of the electrolysis process and significantly impacts the overall efficiency. Additionally, high loading levels of expensive metal oxide catalysts such as iridium (Ir) and ruthenium oxides in the electrodes add to the cost and limit the scalability of the technology.

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Novel Catalyst Developed for Efficient PEM Water Electrolysis

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers from Korea and the USA, led by Professor Chanho Pak from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea, has made a significant breakthrough in the field of PEMWEs. The researchers have developed a novel catalyst, a mesoporous tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅)-supported iridium nanostructure catalyst, using a modified formic acid reduction method.

The study, which will be published in Volume 575 of the Journal of Power Sources on August 15, 2023, demonstrates that the developed catalyst achieves efficient PEM water electrolysis. The findings of this study provide a potential solution to the slow rates of OER and the high loading levels of expensive catalysts in PEMWEs.

Prof. Pak explains that the innovative catalyst design effectively decreases the amount of iridium in a single PEMWE cell, reducing it to 0.3 mg cm^-2. This reduction in iridium loading is of great significance as it lowers the cost of the technology and makes it more cost-effective for widescale deployment. Additionally, the catalyst design improves the electrical conductivity and increases the electrochemically active surface area, leading to enhanced performance.

The Science behind the Catalyst Efficiency

Further analysis using X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies revealed a strong metal-support interaction between iridium and tantalum. Additionally, density functional theory calculations showed a charge transfer from tantalum to iridium, resulting in a stronger binding of adsorbates such as oxygen (O) and hydroxide (OH). This interaction and charge transfer maintain the iridium (III) ratio during the oxidative OER process. As a result, the catalyst (Ir/Ta₂O₅) exhibits enhanced activity with a lower overpotential of 0.385 V compared to 0.48 V for IrO₂.

Experimental results also demonstrated the high OER activity of the catalyst. The observed overpotential at 10 mA cm^-2 was 288 ┬▒ 3.9 mV, and the mass activity of iridium was measured to be 876.1 ┬▒ 125.1 A g^-1 at 1.55 V, which is significantly higher than the corresponding values for Ir Black. Additionally, the catalyst exhibited excellent stability, as confirmed through membrane electrode assembly single cell operation lasting over 120 hours.

Transforming Hydrogen Production with the New Catalyst

The development of the iridium nanostructure catalyst supported by tantalum oxide offers a dual advantage. First, it reduces the loading levels of iridium, which is an expensive metal oxide catalyst, making the PEMWE technology more cost-effective. Second, the catalyst design improves the OER efficiency, complementing the cost-effectiveness of the whole PEMWE process and enhancing its overall performance.

With these advancements, the commercialization of PEMWEs can be revolutionized, leading to accelerated adoption as a primary method for hydrogen production. The combination of reduced cost and improved efficiency brought about by the new catalyst has the potential to make PEMWEs a key contributor to achieving a sustainable and transportable hydrogen energy solution, and ultimately, carbon neutrality.

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