Electrospray Deposition of Catalyst Layers with Ultralow Pt Loading for Cost-Effective H₂ Production by SO₂ Electrolysis

Abstract

The hybrid sulfur (HyS) thermochemical cycle has been considered as a promising approach for the massive production of clean hydrogen without CO 2 emissions. The key to advance this technology and to enhance the cycle efficiency is to improve the electrocatalytic oxidation of SO 2 , which is the pivotal reaction within this process. Hence, this paper investigates, for the first time, the effect of electrospray and air gun deposition techniques and the influence of very low Pt loadings (<0.3 mg Pt/cm 2 ) on catalyst durability and activity. The variation of electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) with the number of cycles demonstrates the significant impact of the electrode fabrication method and catalyst loading on the catalyst durability with considerable ECSA values for electrosprayed electrodes. Electrodes prepared with low platinum loadings (0.05 mg Pt/cm 2 ) exhibit elevated catalyst activity and stability under sulfuric acid conditions and maintain a crucial current density after 5 h of electrolysis. This work extends the understanding of the SO 2 -depolarized electrolysis (SDE) process and gives suggestions for further improvements in the catalyst layer fabrication, which provides potential support for the large-scale research and application of the HyS cycle.

Development of V2O3 Nanostructures for Alkali Metal Ion Batteries: A Novel Approach through Mild Metal Vapor Reduction and Interface Engineering

“…The above renewable energy resources are intermittent, causing inconvenience and low efficiency between energy collection and utilization. 1 Rechargeable batteries are considered one of the best energy storage media to regulate these intermittent energy resources. 2 Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the rechargeable battery market due to their flexible shape and size, high energy density, and long cycle life.…”

“…There is a strong demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable energy supplies, such as hydropower, solar, and wind resources, to address the depletion of fossil fuels and related environmental problems. The above renewable energy resources are intermittent, causing inconvenience and low efficiency between energy collection and utilization . Rechargeable batteries are considered one of the best energy storage media to regulate these intermittent energy resources .…”

“…It remains controversial whether lithium reserves can meet the rapidly growing demand for large-scale applications of electric vehicles and energy storage power plants, so the other alkali elements, such as sodium (Na) and potassium (K), are attracting the attention of researchers. The Na and K resources are not only available in large quantities at low cost but also evenly distributed around the world. ,, In addition, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have similar chemical properties and storage mechanisms, wherein the monovalent alkali cations (Na + or K + ) reversibly intercalate and deintercalate between layered positive and negative electrodes during the charging and discharging processes. In addition, the mature manufacturing process for commercial LIBs could be readily applied to SIBs and PIBs in the short term.…”

Enhancement of the Green H2 Production by Using TiO2 Composite Polybenzimidazole Membranes

“…The MEA has two components of equal importance, the membrane and the catalyst layer. The catalyst layer has been the most studied part, for which noble catalysts such as platinum, palladium or gold have been tested, as well as non-noble catalysts and bi-metallic catalysts [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. However, little attention has been paid to the membrane.…”

Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Water Splitting on a Co3O4@LaCoO3 Core–Shell Redox Catalyst

“…Steadily increasing anthropogenic CO 2 emissions from combustion of fossil fuels have caused a global warming issue. − In light of mitigating the usage of fossil fuels, hydrogen is a promising energy source because it does not emit greenhouse gas during combustion. − However, the hydrogen produced from conventional steam reforming routes need to be subjected to an additional purification process to obtain high-purity hydrogen, which derives an additional energy loss. Many efforts have thus been made to develop efficient hydrogen production technologies. , …”