Concerns on the Effects of Electrode Positions in Electrolyte Container for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Fan Zhang,
Yayun Zhao,
Xiaofeng Chen,
Shengxiao Zhao,
Junjie Zhou,
Zhiyi Lu,
Yichao Lin
Affiliations
Fan Zhang
Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, Power China Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited, Hangzhou 311122, China
Yayun Zhao
Key Laboratory of Advanced Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Xiaofeng Chen
Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, Power China Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited, Hangzhou 311122, China
Shengxiao Zhao
Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, Power China Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited, Hangzhou 311122, China
Junjie Zhou
Key Laboratory of Advanced Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Zhiyi Lu
Key Laboratory of Advanced Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Yichao Lin
Key Laboratory of Advanced Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Water electrolysis is currently a major technique to produce clean hydrogen, which is regarded as a promising and sustainable energy carrier. The efficiency of water electrolysis is highly dependent on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the anode. The evaluation of an OER electrocatalyst is frequently carried out on a three-electrode system in a container of electrolyte. Herein, we found that the electrode positions in the electrolyte container could significantly affect the data acquisition of OER performance. After a detailed investigation, we reveal that the difference of the OER activity of an electrocatalyst at a different position is originated from their different iRu drop and the gas diffusion resistance. For the first time, this work evokes concerns on the accurate evaluation of electrocatalysts regarding the electrode position. For fair comparisons and reliable results, it is strongly suggested to keep the electrode position unchanged in the electrochemical measurements. In addition, the establishment of a standard electrolyzer setup for electrocatalysis evaluation in the electrochemical community is also called for.
