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Title: Favorable morphology and electronic conductivity of functional sublayers for highly efficient water splitting electrodes

Abstract

Low electronic conductivities and improper morphologies of anode electrodes greatly limit the reaction area, catalyst utilization and efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. In this study, conductive sublayers with different conductivities and morphologies were introduced into anode electrodes in membrane-based water electrolyzers. In-situ and ex-situ investigation results showed that conductive sublayers (Au mesh and carbon nanotube (CNT) film) augmented the sheet conductivity of anode electrodes by up to 4000 times (from 2000 to 0.5 ohm square-1), and the ohmic resistance of water electrolyzers was reduced to 1/3 when inserting conductive sublayers. In addition, CNT film provided a higher electrochemical active area than Au mesh, because of favorable morphologies (large porosity and surface area) of CNT fibers on CNT films. Therefore, the current density of water splitting was increased by 3 times (from 4.55 mA cm-2 to 14.83 mA cm-2) at 2.5 V compared to a conventional anode electrode. Visualizations on bubble dynamics showed improved performances with conductive sublayers; this was mainly due to greatly increased number of reaction sites, highly spread reaction area (from 50 to 1000 um), and reduced activation overpotential. Therefore, a balance between high electronic conductivity and nanoporous morphology is essential to the anode electrode formore » larger reaction sites and areas in highly efficient water electrolyzers.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). UT Space Inst. Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Skyre, Inc., East Hartford, CT (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1848780
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1781140
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE0008423; EE0008426; FE0011585; AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Energy Storage
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 36; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 2352-152X
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
25 ENERGY STORAGE; energy & fuels; water splitting; nanoporous morphology; conductivity; functional sublayers; visualization; ohmic resistance

Citation Formats

Yang, Gaoqiang, Wang, Weitian, Xie, Zhiqiang, Yu, Shule, Li, Yifan, Ding, Lei, Li, Kui, and Zhang, Feng-Yuan. Favorable morphology and electronic conductivity of functional sublayers for highly efficient water splitting electrodes. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1016/j.est.2021.102342.
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Yang, Gaoqiang, Wang, Weitian, Xie, Zhiqiang, Yu, Shule, Li, Yifan, Ding, Lei, Li, Kui, & Zhang, Feng-Yuan. Favorable morphology and electronic conductivity of functional sublayers for highly efficient water splitting electrodes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2021.102342
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Yang, Gaoqiang, Wang, Weitian, Xie, Zhiqiang, Yu, Shule, Li, Yifan, Ding, Lei, Li, Kui, and Zhang, Feng-Yuan. Fri . "Favorable morphology and electronic conductivity of functional sublayers for highly efficient water splitting electrodes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2021.102342. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1848780.
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@article{osti_1848780,
title = {Favorable morphology and electronic conductivity of functional sublayers for highly efficient water splitting electrodes},
author = {Yang, Gaoqiang and Wang, Weitian and Xie, Zhiqiang and Yu, Shule and Li, Yifan and Ding, Lei and Li, Kui and Zhang, Feng-Yuan},
abstractNote = {Low electronic conductivities and improper morphologies of anode electrodes greatly limit the reaction area, catalyst utilization and efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. In this study, conductive sublayers with different conductivities and morphologies were introduced into anode electrodes in membrane-based water electrolyzers. In-situ and ex-situ investigation results showed that conductive sublayers (Au mesh and carbon nanotube (CNT) film) augmented the sheet conductivity of anode electrodes by up to 4000 times (from 2000 to 0.5 ohm square-1), and the ohmic resistance of water electrolyzers was reduced to 1/3 when inserting conductive sublayers. In addition, CNT film provided a higher electrochemical active area than Au mesh, because of favorable morphologies (large porosity and surface area) of CNT fibers on CNT films. Therefore, the current density of water splitting was increased by 3 times (from 4.55 mA cm-2 to 14.83 mA cm-2) at 2.5 V compared to a conventional anode electrode. Visualizations on bubble dynamics showed improved performances with conductive sublayers; this was mainly due to greatly increased number of reaction sites, highly spread reaction area (from 50 to 1000 um), and reduced activation overpotential. Therefore, a balance between high electronic conductivity and nanoporous morphology is essential to the anode electrode for larger reaction sites and areas in highly efficient water electrolyzers.},
doi = {10.1016/j.est.2021.102342},
journal = {Journal of Energy Storage},
number = C,
volume = 36,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 05 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Fri Feb 05 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2021.102342
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