Large-Scale and Simple Synthesis of NiFe(OH)<sub>x</sub> Electrode Derived from Raney Ni Precursor for Efficient Alkaline Water Electrolyzer

Tianshui Li; Wei Liu; Huijun Xin; Qihao Sha; Haijun Xu; Yun Kuang; Xiaoming Sun

doi:10.3390/catal14050296

Catalysts (Apr 2024)

Large-Scale and Simple Synthesis of NiFe(OH)<sub>x</sub> Electrode Derived from Raney Ni Precursor for Efficient Alkaline Water Electrolyzer

Tianshui Li,
Wei Liu,
Huijun Xin,
Qihao Sha,
Haijun Xu,
Yun Kuang,
Xiaoming Sun

Affiliations

Tianshui Li: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Wei Liu: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Huijun Xin: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Qihao Sha: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Haijun Xu: College of Mathematics and Physics, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Yun Kuang: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Xiaoming Sun: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14050296
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 5
p. 296

Abstract

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Water electrolysis is a crucial technology in the production of hydrogen energy. Due to the escalating industrial demand for green hydrogen, the required electrode size for a traditional alkaline water electrolyzer has been increasing. Numerous studies have focused on developing highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts for water electrolysis. However, there remains a significant gap between the microscale synthesis of catalysts in laboratory settings and the macroscale preparation required for industrial scenarios. This challenge is particularly pronounced in the synthesis of sizable self-supported electrodes. In this work, we employed a commercially available Raney Ni-coated Ni mesh as a precursor material to fabricate a self-supported NiFe(OH)x@Raney Ni anode with a substantial dimension exceeding 300 mm through a straightforward immersion technique. The as-prepared electrode exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic OER activity, as an overpotential of only 240 mV is required to achieve 10 mA cm−2. This performance is comparable to that of NiFe-LDHs synthesized via a hydrothermal method, which is difficult to scale up for industrial applications. Furthermore, the electrode demonstrated exceptional durability, maintaining stable operation for over 100 h at a current density of 500 mA cm−2. The large-scale electrode displayed consistent overpotentials across various areas, indicating uniform catalytic activity. When integrated into an alkaline water electrolysis device, it delivered an average cell voltage of 1.80 V at 200 mA cm−2 and achieved a direct current hydrogen production energy consumption as low as 4.3 kWh/Nm3. These findings underline the suitability of electrodes for industrial scale applications, offering a promising alternative for energy-efficient hydrogen production.

Published in Catalysts

ISSN: 2073-4344 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology; Science: Chemistry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/catalysts

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