Daniel Zheng Rose Hills
Dynamic Fe at the Anode of AEM Water Electrolysis
With the increased demand for renewable energy, it is necessary to explore long-term, stable energy sources and storage methods to meet future growth. Low-temperature water electrolysis run on renewable energy meets this demand, producing hydrogen, which acts as an energy carrier for solar, wind, and hydropower. Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) are a relatively new and promising technology. However, AEMWEs are still relatively inefficient, operating at low current densities and possessing not as long stack lifetimes. One reason is the anode side, where slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limit AEMWE efficiency. As such, exploring catalysts that aid the sluggish OER activity is necessary. This proposed study will provide detailed findings on the mechanisms and operating range of Fe-based OER catalysts under a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The stability of the catalysts will first be investigated under a pH sweep, distinct forms of iron-based catalysts (surface, bulk, commercial, and Fe impurity spiking) will be compared against each other, and the degradation pathways will also be analyzed in a 3-electrode setup.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you for the opportunity for me to work on my research project over the summer! Over the last year, I have really explored the potential of particular energy storage systems like hydrogen, flow batteries, and metal-air batteries; I truly believe these systems will become the future of our energy storage and capabilities. I want to contribute my own part into this effort, hopefully producing a work that other researchers can read upon and use for their own efforts.