Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
Present address: Photocatalytic Synthesis Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Meander 229, P.O. Box 217, 7500, AE, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2017 Jul 10;56(29):8573-8577. doi: 10.1002/anie.201703963. Epub 2017 Jun 12.
Engineering stable electrodes using highly active catalyst nanopowders for electrochemical water splitting remains a challenge. We report an innovative and general approach for attaining highly stable catalyst films with self-healing capability based on the in situ self-assembly of catalyst particles during electrolysis. The catalyst particles are added to the electrolyte forming a suspension that is pumped through the electrolyzer. Particles with negatively charged surfaces stick onto the anode, while particles with positively charged surfaces stick to the cathode. The self-assembled catalyst films have self-healing properties as long as sufficient catalyst particles are present in the electrolyte. The proof-of-concept was demonstrated in a non-zero gap alkaline electrolyzer using NiFe-LDH and Ni B catalyst nanopowders for anode and cathode, respectively. Steady cell voltages were maintained for at least three weeks during continuous electrolysis at 50-100 mA cm .
使用高活性催化剂纳米粉末来工程化稳定电极以实现电化学水分解仍然是一个挑战。我们报告了一种创新且通用的方法，即在电解过程中基于催化剂颗粒的原位自组装来获得具有自修复能力的高度稳定的催化剂膜。将催化剂颗粒添加到电解质中形成悬浮液，然后将悬浮液泵入电解槽中。带负电荷的表面的颗粒会粘在阳极上，而带正电荷的表面的颗粒会粘在阴极上。只要电解质中存在足够的催化剂颗粒，自组装的催化剂膜就具有自修复特性。这一概念在一个非零间隙碱性电解槽中得到了验证，该电解槽分别使用 NiFe-LDH 和 Ni B 催化剂纳米粉末作为阳极和阴极。在 50-100 mA·cm 的连续电解过程中，稳定的电池电压至少可以维持三周。
