Bridging Laboratory Electrocatalysts with Industrially Relevant Alkaline Water Electrolyzers

Abstract

AbstractThe alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE) is the earliest and most mature water‐splitting technology. However, the conventional Raney Ni electrocatalysts dominantly used in AWEs are struggling to meet current demands for higher energy efficiency and cost‐effectiveness in green hydrogen production. Although many promising electrocatalytic materials have been developed using facile preparation methods in the laboratory, they have not received much attention in commercial AWE applications. It is due to the academic negligence on specific operational conditions, critical performance metrics, and material costs associated with industrial AWEs, as well as disregarding the impact of large‐scale electrode manufacturing processes on catalytic performance. Therefore, a timely review to bridge laboratory focus with industrial requirements is essential to guide the future development of water‐splitting electrocatalysts. Here, starting from the differences of operating and testing conditions between laboratory and industrial systems, the gaps in electrocatalytic equipment, evaluation methods, and preparation principles of electrodes are outlined. To narrow these gaps, some academic efforts in advancing industrially relevant electrocatalysts are highlighted and personal perspectives on future opportunities, research focus, and challenges in this field are provided.