(Invited) Enabling Hydrogen at Scale Using Low-Temperature Electrolysis with Sustainable Materials

This presentation will focus on durable, high-performance materials and interfaces for advanced water splitting, enabling a clear pathway for achieving <$2/Kg H2 (on the scale) with an efficiency of 43 KWh/Kg using an anion exchange membrane interface. A fundamental understanding of hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER) leading to novel materials will be presented in conjunction with critical improvements in membrane, ionomers, and gas evolution electrodes. Mechanistic details of the electrocatalysis, particularly the hydrogen evolution reaction, will be given with corresponding characterization and testing. This presentation will discuss fundamental aspects of HER in the context of a comprehensive series of models based on Pt and Pt alloys/ad-metals. A coherent picture of HOR/HER will pare with the general concepts of H-binding energy, shifts in the potential of zero charge, and the need for the presence of oxophiles on the surface. This presentation will show a comprehensive effort to enable such technology using Ni-based electrocatalysts using the concepts and models gleaned from fundamental studies on Pt based materials. Progress towards the end of the project goal of 1.76 V cell(no-iR corrected) at 1A/cm 2 will be highlighted wherein at the modeled scale of 50,000 kg/day and operating at 1 A/cm 2 results in hydrogen cost at $2.15, $1.82, or $1.76/kg, respectively (2, 20, 200 plants). In addition, a road map for achieving $ 1/Kg in a decade will be delineated.