Water Splitting and Beyond

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is a clean and environmentally friendly fuel, showcasing significant potential as a viable substitute for traditional fossil energy sources. Electrolysis, particularly the electrolytic splitting of water, emerges as one of the most environmentally benign methods for producing H2.1 Recent advancements have witnessed the emergence of cost-effective and durable catalysts, predominantly leveraging transition metals, demonstrating remarkable efficiency for water splitting Our ongoing research endeavors aim to push the boundaries further by exploring unconventional (non-oxide) catalysts based on non-noble metals. The objective is to identify catalysts that exhibit superior overall catalytic efficiency by a comprehensive investigation into the structural transformations, active sites, surface, and bulk structures under dynamic conditions. Additionally, we are delving into the influence of precatalysts on the properties of the final catalyst, striving for a holistic understanding to optimize the catalytic process. Water splitting is hindered by the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a process entailing four-electron transfer and numerous high-energy reaction intermediates.2 Partly, electrochemical organic oxidation reactions (OOR) can effectively supersede the sluggish OER (hybrid-water electrolysis), and accelerate the overall hydrogen production rate.3 This also significantly enhances the techno-economic viability of water-splitting as selective high-valued organic oxidation products are formed at the anode, as opposed to the less valuable oxygen.4 This talk will shed light on the recent developments of selected catalysts for electrocatalytic OER and OOR and will discuss the dynamic state of the catalysts via comprehensive in-situ and ex-situ techniques.5 The ultimate goal is to pave the way toward a concept-guided design system that extends beyond conventional water electrolysis.