Affiliation:
1. Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering University of Macau Avenida da Universidade Taipa Macau SAR 999078 China
2. The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430081 China
Abstract
AbstractElectrochemical water splitting is a highly effective method for carbon‐free hydrogen production. While significant efforts have been made to develop efficient and cost‐effective electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the optimization of electrode surface properties has been largely overlooked. Inadequate mass diffusion, especially at high bath voltage, hampers the energy transfer efficiency of water electrolysis. To overcome these challenges, precise design of superaerophobic/superhydrophilic electrodes can effectively separate gas bubbles from the catalyst surface and enhance mass transfer, improving overpotential and Faraday efficiency. This article underscores the importance of designing electrocatalysts with well‐designed surface properties to address these challenges. It also discusses characterization techniques for evaluating surface properties and provides examples of applications for superaerophobic/superhydrophilic electrodes in energy storage and conversion systems, electrochemical biosensors, and industrial processes, etc. Overall, optimizing the surface properties of electrocatalysts holds promise for enhancing the efficiency of gas‐involving reactions and energy conversion systems.
Funder
Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province
Subject
Electrochemistry,Catalysis