Ni,Fe,Co-LDH Coated Porous Transport Layers for Zero-Gap Alkaline Water Electrolyzers

Abstract

Next-generation alkaline water electrolyzers will be based on zero-gap configuration to further reduce costs related to technology and to improve performance. Here, anodic porous transport layers (PTLs) for zero-gap alkaline electrolysis are prepared through a facile one-step electrodeposition of Ni,Fe,Co-based layered double hydroxides (LDH) on 304 stainless steel (SS) meshes. Electrodeposited LDH structures are characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirming the formation of high surface area catalytic layers. Finally, bi and trimetallic LDH-based PTLs are tested as electrodes for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH solution. The best electrodes are based on FeCo LDH, reaching 10 mA cm−2 with an overpotential value of 300 mV. These PTLs are also tested with a chronopotentiometric measurement carried out for 100 h at 50 mA cm−2, showing outstanding durability without signs of electrocatalytic activity degradation.

Keywords

• oxygen evolution reaction
• water splitting
• layered double hydroxide
• porous transport layer
• zero-gap
• stainless steel