Perović Klara, Morović Silvia, Jukić Ante, Košutić Krešimir
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Materials (Basel). 2023 Sep 20;16(18):6319. doi: 10.3390/ma16186319.
Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) represents promising technology for the generation of high-purity hydrogen using electricity generated from renewable energy sources (solar and wind). Currently, benchmark catalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions in PEMWE are highly dispersed carbon-supported Pt-based materials. In order for this technology to be used on a large scale and be market competitive, it is highly desirable to better understand its performance and reduce the production costs associated with the use of expensive noble metal cathodes. The development of non-noble metal cathodes poses a major challenge for scientists, as their electrocatalytic activity still does not exceed the performance of the benchmark carbon-supported Pt. Therefore, many published works deal with the use of platinum group materials, but in reduced quantities (below 0.5 mg cm). These Pd-, Ru-, and Rh-based electrodes are highly efficient in hydrogen production and have the potential for large-scale application. Nevertheless, great progress is needed in the field of water electrolysis to improve the activity and stability of the developed catalysts, especially in the context of industrial applications. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present all the process features related to the hydrogen evolution mechanism in water electrolysis, with a focus on PEMWE, and to provide an outlook on recently developed novel electrocatalysts that could be used as cathode materials in PEMWE in the future. Non-noble metal options consisting of transition metal sulfides, phosphides, and carbides, as well as alternatives with reduced noble metals content, will be presented in detail. In addition, the paper provides a brief overview of the application of PEMWE systems at the European level and related initiatives that promote green hydrogen production.
质子交换膜水电解（PEMWE）是一种利用可再生能源（太阳能和风能）发电来生产高纯度氢气的有前景的技术。目前，PEMWE中析氢反应的基准催化剂是高度分散的碳载铂基材料。为了使该技术能够大规模应用并具有市场竞争力，非常有必要更好地了解其性能并降低与使用昂贵贵金属阴极相关的生产成本。开发非贵金属阴极对科学家来说是一项重大挑战，因为它们的电催化活性仍未超过基准碳载铂的性能。因此，许多已发表的作品都涉及铂族材料的使用，但用量减少（低于0.5 mg/cm²）。这些基于钯、钌和铑的电极在制氢方面效率很高，具有大规模应用的潜力。然而，在水电解领域仍需要取得巨大进展，以提高所开发催化剂的活性和稳定性，特别是在工业应用背景下。因此，本综述的目的是介绍与水电解中析氢机制相关的所有工艺特点，重点是PEMWE，并对最近开发的可在未来用作PEMWE阴极材料的新型电催化剂进行展望。将详细介绍由过渡金属硫化物、磷化物和碳化物组成的非贵金属选项，以及贵金属含量降低的替代品。此外，本文还简要概述了PEMWE系统在欧洲层面的应用以及促进绿色氢气生产的相关举措。
