Industrial Hydrogen Production Research Articles

ConstructingHydrangea-Like Iron-Cobalt Phosphides viaBoron-Assisted strategyas an Efficient Catalyst for Water Splitting at High Current Density.

Finding suitable bifunctional catalysts for industrial hydrogen production is the key to fully building a hydrogen energy society. Here we report a modulation of the surface morphology of electrodeposited CoP to form hydrangea-like Cobalt-Iron bimetallic phosphide (B-CoFeP@CoP) via ion-exchange and NaBH4-assisted methods. This catalyst exhibited excellent bifunctional catalytic capability at high current densities, achieving a current density of 500 mA cm-2 at a small overpotential (387 mV for OER and 252 mV for HER). When assembled into an OWS electrolyzer, this catalyst showed a fairly low cell voltage (≈1.88 V) at 500 mA cm-2 current density.，Furthermore, B-CoFeP@CoP shows ceaseless durability over 120h in both freshwater and seawater with almost no change in the cell voltage.A combined experimental and theoretical study identified that the unique hydrangea-like structure provided a larger electrochemically active surface area and more effective active sites. Further analysis indicates that during the OER process, phosphides ensure that bimetallic active sites adsorb more OOH * intermediates and further DFT calculations showed that B-Fe2P and B-Co2P acted as active centers for dissociation of H2O and desorption of H2, respectively, to synergistically catalyze the HER process.

Design Strategies of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Nano Electrocatalysts for High Current Density Water Splitting

Hydrogen is now recognized as the primary alternative to fossil fuels due to its renewable, safe, high-energy density and environmentally friendly properties. Efficient hydrogen production through water splitting has laid the foundation for sustainable energy technologies. However, when hydrogen production is scaled up to industrial levels, operating at high current densities introduces unique challenges. It is necessary to design advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) under high current densities. This review will briefly introduce the challenges posed by high current densities on electrocatalysts, including catalytic activity, mass diffusion, and catalyst stability. In an attempt to address these issues, various electrocatalyst design strategies are summarized in detail. In the end, our insights into future challenges for efficient large-scale industrial hydrogen production from water splitting are presented. This review is expected to guide the rational design of efficient high-current density water electrolysis electrocatalysts and promote the research progress of sustainable energy.

Design Strategies of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Nano Electrocatalysts for High Current Density Water Splitting

Hydrogen is now recognized as the primary alternative to fossil fuels due to its renewable, safe, high-energy density and environmentally friendly properties. Efficient hydrogen production through water splitting has laid the foundation for sustainable energy technologies. However, when hydrogen production is scaled up to industrial levels, operating at high current densities introduces unique challenges. It is necessary to design advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) under high current densities. This review will briefly introduce the challenges posed by high current densities on electrocatalysts, including catalytic activity, mass diffusion, and catalyst stability. In an attempt to address these issues, various electrocatalyst design strategies are summarized in detail. In the end, our insights into future challenges for efficient large-scale industrial hydrogen production from water splitting are presented. This review is expected to guide the rational design of efficient high-current density water electrolysis electrocatalysts and promote the research progress of sustainable energy.

Leveraging media for demand control in an optimal network of renewable microgrids with hydrogen facilities in South Korea

Abstract In pursuit of a sustainable 2030 strategy in the Republic of Korea, this study addresses the oversight in recent optimal renewable energy microgrid designs, which, despite encompassing all feasible renewable sources, neglected the pivotal role of hydrogen as an energy carrier. This research explores the feasibility of reprogramming media platforms to dynamically shape energy consumption during peak intervals. It further proposes the retrofitting of microgrids with industrial hydrogen production and storage facilities, aligning with controlled electricity demand. A comprehensive social survey investigates the impact of media content on energy-conscious behaviour and cooperation, specifically targeting energy savings during peak hours. Utilizing a probabilistic model, the study quantifies responses from the surveyed sample and decomposes the energy demand time series to reveal three new consumption patterns: demand reduction by lowering residential electricity consumption at peak intervals without shifts, intense demand shifting by redistributing electricity consumption from peaks to valleys without human intervention, and moderate demand shifting achieved through cooperation with consumers. With these novel energy demand patterns in hand, the study optimally designs renewable microgrids in 17 sites in South Korea, comparing two strategies: Plan A, involving electrolysis-based hydrogen production and storage tanks, and Plan B, which excludes hydrogen facilities. Comparative results demonstrate that media content contributes to a 10.28% and 16.11% reduction in peak electricity consumption, with and without human intervention, respectively. In Plan B, a demand cut saves 937.3 MWh/yr, resulting in a 12.88% reduction in the levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) and a 4.67% reduction in net present costs (NPC) of optimal renewable microgrids in Korea. Conversely, in Plan A, intense demand reduction exhibits superior performance, leading to $981K less NPC, 1,046 MWh/yr less excess electricity, and a 3.76% smaller LCOE. The study recommends the implementation of smart gadgets to control residential electricity consumption, producing industrial hydrogen at Korean sites based on consumer attention and agreement with specific media content. However, it underscores the importance of studying the socio-psychological effects of this plan in future research.

Lattice strain induced by trace Pt single atoms in nickel for accelerating industrial hydrogen evolution

Strategically designing the electrocatalytic system and cleverly inducing strain is an effective approach to balance the cost and activity of Pt-based electrocatalysts for industrial-scale hydrogen production. Herein, we present a unipolar pulsed electrodeposition (UPED) strategy to induce strain in the Ni lattice by introducing trace amounts of Pt single atoms (SAs) (0.22 wt%). The overpotential decreased by 183 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH after introducing trace amounts of PtSAs. The industrial electrolyzer, assembled with PtSAsNi cathode and a commercial NiFeOx anode, requires a cell voltage of 1.90 V to attain 1 A cm−2 of current density and remains stable for 280 h, demonstrating significant potential for practical applications. Spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM), X-ray absorption (XAS), and geometric phase analysis (GPA) indicate that the introduction of trace amounts of Pt SAs induces tensile strain in the Ni lattice, thereby altering the local electronic structure and coordination environment around cubic Ni for enhancing the water decomposition kinetics and fundamentally changing the reaction pathway. The doping-strain strategy showcases conformational relationships that could offer new ideas to construct efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts for industrial hydrogen production in the future.

3D transition metal boride monolithic electrode for industrial hectoampere-level current anion exchange membrane water electrolysis

High performance, cost-efficient anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is of great current interest for industrial-level hydrogen production. However, the lack of active and robust catalytic electrode severely impedes the development of this technology. Herein, a versatile strategy of 3D hierarchical porous monolithic electrode enabling industrial hectoampere-level current AEMWE is successfully explored for the first time. By a facile electroless plating technique coupled with corrosion engineering process, a series of low-cost and highly active 3D transition metal boride (etched-TMB, TM=Ni, Co, NiP, NiMo, CoP, CoMo, CoNi) catalytic electrodes have been prepared. A distinctive hierarchically structured etched-NiPB@MS alloy monolithic electrode exhibits a superior bifunctional hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activity and large-current stability, which derive from enhanced intrinsic activity, sufficient electrochemical active sites, mechanical stability as well as efficient gas/liquid transport pathways. An AEMWE electrolyzer with 10×10 cm2 etched-NiPB@MS as both anode and cathode works efficiently at large current of 100 A (1 A cm−2) and reaches a H2 production rate of 41.78 L h−1, verifying its huge potential for industrial hydrogen production. This study paves out a new approach for high-efficient catalytic electrode and industrial-level current AEMWE.

Aqueous Room‐Temperature Synthesis of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Route to Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

AbstractTransition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as a focal point in electrocatalysis, particularly for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), owing to their notable catalytic activity, chemical stability, and cost‐efficiency. Despite these advantages, the challenge of devising a practical and economical method for their large‐scale application in HER remains an unresolved and critical issue. In this study, a facile, scalable, and cost‐effective approach is introduced for producing high‐yield, catalytically active TMD nanoparticles, including MoS2, MoSe2, RuS2, and RuSe2. These nanoparticles are synthesized through an aqueous room‐temperature process, which is not only environmentally friendly but also economically feasible for large‐scale production. Remarkably, these TMD nanoparticles exhibit versatile catalytic activity across a broad pH range for HER. Among them, RuSe2 nanoparticles demonstrate catalytic performance comparable to that of a commercial Pt/C electrode. Upon scaling up, the nanomaterials show great potential for integration into practical proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers, maintaining high efficiency even at large current densities and exhibiting very stable performance for up to 100 h. This research paves the way to a sustainable synthesis method of high‐performance catalysts, tailored for industrial hydrogen production applications.

Leveraging bifunctional phosphide-based catalysts in a membrane-electrode-assembly to achieve industrial hydrogen production

The advancement of the hydrogen economy hinges upon the development of clean, cost-effective, and highly efficient hydrogen generators capable of industrial-scale operation. Conventional electrolyzers encounter challenges such as high internal resistance and low current density, which restrict their practical applicability. In this study, we present a cost-effective bifunctional CoFeP electrocatalyst wherein the regulation of cobalt 3d orbitals by iron dopants enhances overall catalytic activity. High-energy-resolution fluorescence-detection X-ray absorption spectroscopy and 1s3p resonant inelastic X-ray scattering confirm a downward shift and delocalization of cobalt ion 3d orbitals. Employed within a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) system, CoFeP demonstrates voltages of 1.51 V at 10 mA cm−2, 1.65 V at 100 mA cm−2 and 2.11 V at 500 mA cm−2 without iR-correction. These values are significantly lower by 109 mV and 470 mV than those recorded at 100 mA cm−2 (1.62 V) and 500 mA cm−2 (2.71 V), respectively, in a conventional H-cell system. Within the MEA system, CoFeP achieves a Faradaic efficiency exceeding 97% for hydrogen production and sustains stable catalytic for 350 h, underscoring its potential for industrial-scale hydrogen production.

Self-assembly of NiFe-LDH@Ni3S2 sub-nanosheets catalyst for overall water splitting

The development of water splitting catalysts for generating high-purity hydrogen in large-scale is still facing challenges in terms of improving efficiency and stability. Herein, Ni3S2-coated NiFe layered double hydroxides sub-nanosheets with a hierarchical heterostructure (NiFe-LDH@Ni3S2) were prepared on nickel foam (NF) by a strategy of continuous hydrothermal synthesis. The introduction of S2− broke the hydrogen bonds between NiFe-LDH layers and separated into sub-nanosheets with a thickness of only about 1 nm, which enlarged the active areas of NiFe-LDH@Ni3S2/NF by a factor of 5.7. The coexisting charge channels Ni-O-Ni and Ni-S-Ni in the material enhanced the electrochemical activity, resulting in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) overpotentials as low as 179 mV and 116 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH. Moreover, after a 50-hour chronopotentiometry test at 50 mA cm−2, the overpotential for OER and HER decreased only 0.013 V and 0.059 V, respectively. Furthermore, under the conditions of simulating industrial hydrogen production with an electrolyte of 6.0 M KOH and a temperature of 75 °C, after a 140-hour test for durability, the current density decreased only 0.75% at the cell voltage of 1.70 V.

A novel industrial magnetically enhanced hydrogen production electrolyzer and effect of magnetic field configuration

Hydrogen energy is a clean, zero‑carbon, flexible and abundant secondary energy. The large-scale deployment of industrial hydrogen production equipment is an effective way to improve renewable energy consumption, the efficiency of hydrogen production from water electrolysis is crucial for equipment deployment. In this paper, a novel industrial magnetically enhanced AWE electrolyzer is designed to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production. The structure and assembly method of the magnetic bipolar plate are introduced, the BOP component is designed and an industrial system-level test platform is built. The results show that the magnetic enhanced electrolyzer can effectively improve the hydrogen production efficiency, however, the effects of different magnetic field configurations (Magnetic field horizontal configuration, MFHC; Magnetic field vertical configuration, MFVC; No magnetic field configuration, NMFC) are significantly different. The magnetic field of MFVC are concentrated inside the bipolar plate and perpendicular to the direction of the electric field, and there is almost no magnetic flux leakage inside the cathode and anode cells. The magnetic field and the electric field of the MFHC configuration are not completely perpendicular, the magnetic field distribution is irregular, there are more magnetic flux leakage in the cells, and the magnetic field intensity is obviously greater than that of the MFVC configuration. Compared with NMFC, MFHC and MFVC significantly improved the hydrogen production efficiency, MFHC performance is better, the current density increased by 28.48% (@50 °C-100 L/h-2 V cell voltage-30%wt KOH), DC power consumption was reduced by 6.2% (CC100A-100 L/h-30%wt KOH). The design method and configuration scheme of magnetically enhanced electrolyzer provide a new idea for the industrial application of magnetic fields in AWE hydrogen production equipment.

Dynamic fault detection and diagnosis of industrial alkaline water electrolyzer process with variational Bayesian dictionary learning

Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AWE) is one of the simplest green hydrogen production method using renewable energy. AWE system typically yields process variables that are serially correlated and contaminated by measurement uncertainty. A novel robust dynamic variational Bayesian dictionary learning (RDVDL) monitoring approach is proposed to improve the reliability and safety of AWE operation. RDVDL employs a sparse Bayesian dictionary learning to preserve the dynamic mechanism information of AWE process which allows the easy interpretation of fault detection results. To improve the robustness to measurement uncertainty, a low-rank vector autoregressive (VAR) method is derived to reliably extract the serial correlation from process variables. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated with an industrial hydrogen production process, and RDVDL can efficiently detect and diagnose critical AWE faults.

Non-precious metal high-entropy electrocatalysts (Al0.5NiCoCr-X0.5) for OER application

The high entropy alloy electrocatalysts demonstrate exceptional efficiency in the production of hydrogen through water electrolysis. Consequently, the development of durable and economically efficient electrocatalysts has become an urgent objective to accomplish. In order to achieve this goal, a bulk non-precious metal high-entropy alloy, Al0.5NiCoCr-X0.5 (Mo, Mn, Cu, V, Fe), was synthesized and characterized in this study through physical phase analysis and electrochemical property test. To explore the reasons for the influence of the five added elements on the catalytic performance of high entropy alloys in this system and to find the OER electrocatalyst with the best catalytic performance. Electrochemical performance tests were performed in 1 M KOH electrolyte. At a current density of 10 mA·cm−2, the overpotential of the high-entropy alloy catalyst Al0.5NiCoCrMo0.5 was lower than that of the high-entropy alloy with the addition of the other four elements respectively, which was only 327 mV, and lower than that of the conventional noble metal catalyst RuO2, which had an overpotential of 342 mV. This is attributed to the addition of Mo element, which makes Al0.5NiCoCr produce a large number of HCP phases on top of the original FCC phase and a very small number of BCC phases, which is more conducive to the generation of active sites on the surface of the catalysts, and thus improves the OER activity, and the stability can be maintained for at least 20 hours. Therefore, Al0.5NiCoCrMo0.5 high-entropy alloy catalysts can be used in industrial hydrogen production instead of the traditional precious metal catalysts, and it has a rather broad application prospect, and at the same time, it lays a solid foundation for the application of transition metals in catalysts.

Superior MoTiN and NiMoTiN coating electrode with platinum-like catalytic activity fabricated by plasma electrolytic oxidation

Electrolyzing water is an effective and feasible technology to achieve a large-scale hydrogen production in industry. However, it is still challenging to develop an efficient approach to fabricate a superior and stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrodes with low cost and outstanding catalytic efficiency. This work presents an innovative surface modification technique of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) to fabricate superior MoN based coating electrodes. By simply introducing Na2MoO4 and NiAc2 into the electrolyte, a novel MoTiN and NiMoTiN coatings were successfully achieved on the surface of a titanium substrate by PEO and annealing treatments, which exhibits excellent mechanical adhesion and platinum-like catalytic properties. Importantly, it has been demonstrated that the newly formed MoTiN solid solution combined by active Mo2N and conductive TiN can contribute the superior catalytic activity and the subsequent Ni doping can effectively stabilize the structure and activity of MoTiN. Under the alkaline environment of 1 M KOH, the MoTiN and NiMoTiN coated electrodes require only 126 and 121 mV overpotential, respectively, to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Additionally, under the same test conditions, NiMoTiN can operate stably for over 24 h, demonstrating excellent HER catalytic activity and stability. This work provides new insights into the preparation of HER electrodes with superior mechanical properties and excellent catalytic performance towards industrial hydrogen production.

Robust and efficient Iron-Based electrodes for hydrogen production from seawater at high current density above 1000 mA cm−2

The implementation of cheap iron-based catalysts for seawater electrolysis at high- current–density offers an economical and sustainable solution for industrial hydrogen production in near future. However, Fe-based electrodes suffer from poor intrinsic activity and corrosion resistance in seawater, resulting in unsatisfactory seawater splitting performance. Here, we reported the scale-up fabrication of whole-Fe-based electrodes (NiFe-X (X = O, P) NAs/Fe foam) by facile soaking-phosphating. Surface active layers exhibit enhanced corrosion resistance compared to bare Fe foam, and trace Ni modification lowers reaction energy barriers of cathodic NiFeP and in-situ generated anodic NiFeOOH, respectively. Thus, NiFe-P||NiFe-O pair only requires 1.93 V to deliver 3000 mA cm−2 at 6 M KOH, 60 °C for overall seawater splitting, and works stably for 200 h at 1000 mA cm−2. Furthermore, NiFe-X (X = O, P) NAs/Fe foam show impressive adaptation to fresh water/tap water/seawater and all kinds of renewable energies, presenting excellent flexibility for various environmental applications and scenarios.

Rational Design of Multiple Heterostructures with Synergistic Effect for Efficient and Stable Hydrogen Evolution Toward Industrial Alkaline Water Splitting

AbstractElectrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via alkaline water splitting holds great promise for industrial clean hydrogen production but is frustrated by limited catalytic activity and inferior stability under high current density. Elaborate manipulating of heterostructure on robust catalytic electrodes is essential but challenging for accelerating HER kinetics with high durability. Herein, a robust nickel mesh electrode, offering high mechanical stability, is directly engineered with catalytic layers of multiple heterostructures (r‐Mn–Ni/CoP) via facile one‐pot electrodeposition followed by surface reconstruction strategy. The abundant heterostructures composed of crystalline CoP, NiP, amorphous region, and additional Mn doping considerably manipulate the electronic structure with optimized charge transfer; while the in situ surface‐reconstructed hydrophilic nanoflakes enable the rapid wetting of active sites to the electrolyte. Consequently, the r‐Mn–Ni/CoP requires only 134 mV overpotential at the current density of 100 mA cm−2, superior to monophasic and undoped samples, and the majority of reported HER catalysts. Remarkably, an electrolyzer with r‐Mn–Ni/CoP on a nickel mesh cathode demonstrates extraordinary activity with a voltage of 1.734 V at 300 mA cm−2 and stable operation of 800 h. The finding provides a feasible strategy for the fabrication of nonprecious‐metal‐based HER electrocatalysts with high activity and stability toward industrial water electrolysis.

Bubbles Management for Enhanced Catalytic Water Splitting Performance

Water splitting is widely acknowledged as an efficient method for hydrogen production. In recent years, significant research efforts have been directed towards developing cost-effective electrocatalysts. However, the management of bubbles formed on the electrode surface during electrolysis has been largely overlooked. These bubbles can impede the active sites, resulting in decreased catalytic performance and stability, especially at high current densities. Consequently, this impediment affects the energy conversion efficiency of water splitting. To address these challenges, this review offers a comprehensive overview of advanced strategies aimed at improving catalytic performance and mitigating the obstructive effects of bubbles in water splitting. These strategies primarily involve the utilization of experimental apparatus to observe bubble-growth behavior, encompassing nucleation, growth, and detachment stages. Moreover, the review examines factors influencing bubble formation, considering both mechanical behaviors and internal factors. Additionally, the design of efficient water-splitting catalysts is discussed, focusing on modifying electrode-surface characteristics. Finally, the review concludes by summarizing the potential of bubble management in large-scale industrial hydrogen production and identifying future directions for achieving efficient hydrogen production.

Rational Design of Dynamic Interface Water Evolution on Turing Electrocatalyst toward the Industrial Hydrogen Production.

Manipulating the structural and kinetic dissociation processes of water at the catalyst-electrolyte interface is vital for alkaline hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) at industrial current density. This is seldom actualized due to the intricacies of the electrochemical reaction interface. Herein, this work introduces a rapid, nonequilibrium cooling technique for synthesizing ternary Turing catalysts with short-range ordered structures (denoted as FeNiRu/C). These advanced structures empower the FeNiRu/C to exhibit excellent HER performance in 1 m KOH with an ultralow overpotential of 6.5 and 166.2 mV at 10 and 1000 mA cm-2, respectively, and a specific activity 7.3 times higher than that of Pt/C. Comprehensive mechanistic analyses reveal that abundant atomic species form asymmetric atomic electric fields on the catalyst surface inducing a directed evolution and the dissociation process of interfacial H2O molecules. In addition, the locally topologized structure effectively mitigates the high hydrogen coverage of the active site induced by the high current density. The establishment of the relationship between free water population and HER activity provides a new paradigm for the design of industrially relevant high performance alkaline HER catalysts.

Round-the-Clock and Continuous Generation of Hydrogen and Oxygen

The main methods of industrial hydrogen production are: steam restructuring of methane and natural gas; coal gasification; biotechnology; water electrolysis. The most efficient method for producing pure hydrogen and oxygen is to produce pure hydrogen and oxygen in a photoelectrochemical cell. A photoelectrochemical cell produces hydrogen and oxygen directly from solar energy. In a photoelectrochemical cell, a combined anode, made from silicon semiconductor and metal mesh with large cells, submerged in water electrolyte solution, agitated by four photons of light, forms an oxygen molecule, which in the form of a gas bubble lifts from the surface of anode to the free surface of the water electrolyte solution. Two hydrogen cations, formed because of the dissociation of water, reaching the cathode, form a gaseous hydrogen molecule, which, turn into an electrolysis bubble, lifts from surface of cathode to the free surface of the water electrolyte solution. The article presents a new method for round-the-clock and continuous generation of hydrogen and oxygen, using a developed photoelectrolyzer-generator, taking a horizontally located combine anode, made from silicon semiconductor and metal mesh with large cells and burnt graphite cathode (electrolysis base) at the bottom of the photoelectrolyzer-generator; a membrane from fire hose material, located between electrodes; device, regulating the gap between the electrodes. Round-the-clock and continuous production of hydrogen and oxygen in the photoelectrolyzer-generator is ensured by using lamp, including LED with a daylight battery charger as a useful electrical load, which brightens the combined anode, made from silicon semiconductor and metal mesh with large cells at night until the morning and by continuously filling the photoelectrolyzer-generator with water.

Nanoporous Nickel Cathode with an Electrostatic Chlorine-Resistant Surface for Industrial Seawater Electrolysis Hydrogen Production.

Seawater electrolysis presents a promising avenue for green hydrogen production toward a carbon-free society. However, the electrode materials face significant challenges including severe chlorine-induced corrosion and high reaction overpotential, resulting in low energy conversion efficiency and low current density operation. Herein, we put forward a nanoporous nickel (npNi) cathode with high chlorine corrosion resistance for energy-efficient seawater electrolysis at industrial current densities (0.4-1 A cm-2). With the merits of an electrostatic chlorine-resistant surface, modulated Ni active sites, and a robust three-dimensional open structure, the npNi electrode showed a low hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential of 310 mV and a high electricity-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 59.7% at 400 mA cm-2 in real seawater and outperformed most Ni-based seawater electrolysis cathodes in recent publications and the commercial Ni foam electrode (459 mV, 46.4%) under the same test condition. In situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, high-frame-rate optical microscopy, and first-principles calculation revealed that the improved corrosion resistance, enhanced intrinsic activity, and mass transfer were responsible for the lowered electrocatalytic overpotential and enhanced energy efficiency.

Electrochemical synthesis in company with hydrogen production via renewable energy: Opportunities and challenges

Organic electromechanical synthesis is an eco-friendly and efficient method for material synthesis, effectively addressing the high energy consumption and pollution problems in the traditional chemical industry. By combining hydrogen production from water electrolysis with organic electromechanical synthesis, the reactive oxygen/hydrogen from water hydrolysis can be utilized to oxidize/reduce organic compounds, reducing energy consumption and producing valuable organic products. However, this strategy still faces challenges when implemented in the industry. This paper addresses major technical challenges in the field, providing new insights for future advancements. Firstly, when selecting anode reactions for hydrogen production, it is important to consider the value and market demand of the oxidation product to match the production scale. Secondly, the development of efficient electrocatalysts and electrodes is required to enhance the oxidation kinetics and mass transfer of organics at the current density levels of industrial hydrogen production (500–2000 mA cm−2). Thirdly, it is essential to improve the selectivity and Faraday efficiency of the anode target product to lower the cost of subsequent separation and purification. Fourthly, existing anion and oxygen ion exchange membranes lack corrosion resistance to organic matter, and new separator materials with high ion conductivity and stability are crucial for the electrolytic coupling system. Finally, when combining organic oxidation and water electrolysis, the complexity of product separation increases, and it is recommended to integrate distillation, extraction, membrane separation, and electrochemical reactions to improve process efficiency.