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The reporter learned from Nankai University on August 3 that the team led by Professor Luo Jingshan from the School of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering of Nankai University, in collaboration with the research team of the University of the Basque Country in Spain, has made important progress in the research of hydrogen production by electrocatalytic water decomposition.

It is understood that the joint team used the interaction between metal carriers to construct a highly active hydrogen evolution catalyst under alkaline conditions, which can operate stably for more than 1,000 hours at a large current density of 5 amperes per square centimeter, meeting the needs of commercial application of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis hydrogen production technology. The relevant research results were published in the international academic journal Nature Communications.

As a low-carbon, efficient and clean energy, hydrogen plays an important role in global energy transformation and addressing climate change. Green hydrogen, represented by hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy, does not produce greenhouse gases during the production process and is widely regarded as one of the important paths to achieve carbon neutrality.

Schematic diagram of the synthesis of Ru NPs/TiN. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

At present, the two water electrolysis hydrogen production technologies, alkaline water electrolysis (ALK) and proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEM), account for a relatively high proportion. Among them, ALK hydrogen production technology has low production costs and mature industrialization, but the hydrogen produced is of low purity and has low energy efficiency. PEM hydrogen production technology has high energy efficiency and produces high purity hydrogen, but the cost is high. The anion exchange membrane (AEM) hydrogen production technology is considered to be the third-generation water electrolysis hydrogen production technology that combines the advantages of both. It has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and fast start and stop, but the insufficient stability of the electrolyzer system at high current density limits its industrial application.

Luo Jingshan introduced that developing catalysts with long life and stable performance under high current density is one of the core issues that need to be urgently solved in AEM hydrogen production technology.

"We assembled an AEM electrolyzer using titanium nitride-supported ruthenium nanoparticle catalysts, which can operate stably for more than 1,000 hours at current densities of 1 ampere, 2 amperes, and 5 amperes per square centimeter with almost no performance degradation," said Zhao Jia, the first author of the paper and a 2021 doctoral student at the School of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering at Nankai University.

"At an industrial-grade current density of 5 amperes per square centimeter, our research results can operate efficiently and stably in the AEM electrolyzer, overcoming the problem of catalyst instability and meeting the needs of large-scale commercial application of AEM hydrogen production." Luo Jingshan said, "In the future, the team will continue to invest in independent research and development of green hydrogen preparation technology, promote the transformation and implementation of scientific and technological achievements as soon as possible, and contribute to the construction of a zero-carbon, low-cost, safe and reliable green hydrogen energy supply system." (Reporter Zhang Jianxin, Bai Jiali)