Hydrogen is a promising energy vector for decarbonizing society. However, most hydrogen today is produced from methane, leading to substantial CO2 emissions. Water electrolysis, powered by renewable energy, offers a path to generate green hydrogen.
Water Electrolysis for Green Hydrogen Production
Proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysis is a promising implementation of water electrolysis that can produce green hydrogen at high rates and energy efficiency. However, PEM electrolysis has traditionally required scarce, rare elements like platinum and iridium for its catalysts, especially for the anode which must operate in highly corrosive acidic environments.
Breakthrough in Iridium-Free Catalysts
A multidisciplinary team of scientists, led by Professor F. Pelayo García de Arquer at ICFO, has developed a novel cobalt-based catalyst that achieves stability in PEM water electrolysis at industrial conditions without using iridium. This breakthrough, published in Science, involved collaborations from ICIQ, ICN2, CNRS, Diamond Light Source, and INAM.
Harnessing the Power of Water in Catalyst Design
The key to the team’s success was a new approach to catalyst design that actively involves water and its fragments in the catalyst’s structure. By tailoring the incorporation of water into the cobalt-based catalyst through a delamination process, the researchers were able to shield the catalyst from the challenging acidic environment, enabling stable operation at high current densities.
Implications for Green Hydrogen Production
This breakthrough in iridium-free catalysts opens up new possibilities for scaling up green hydrogen production through PEM electrolysis. By replacing scarce iridium with abundant and inexpensive cobalt, while still achieving the necessary activity and stability, this new catalyst design could make green hydrogen more economically viable.
As the world seeks to decarbonize and transition to cleaner energy sources, innovations like this in catalyst design will play a crucial role in enabling the widespread adoption of green hydrogen.
