Hydrogen is expected to become an important energy carrier of the future, particularly for industrial applications. But this requires climate-friendly technologies that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. One major challenge is cost: PEM water electrolysis requires components that can withstand highly corrosive conditions. Some of these components are coated with platinum.
Experiments at TU Wien have now taken a closer look at the electrochemical processes occurring in such platinum coatings. The results show that, if the coating is designed correctly, significantly less platinum is needed than is commonly used today. This could make electrolysis noticeably less expensive.
The research is published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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