Novel Materials in Alkaline Water Electrolysis

全球各国都面临着与不可再生能源储量下降、与温室气体生产相关的环境污染以及气候变化的负面影响有关的重大社会挑战。大力开发氢等可替代的清洁能源已变得日益重要。风能，太阳能和水力发电，当在一个被称为电解器的设备中用于将水电化学分解为氧气和氢气（H2O = H2 + 1/2 O2）时，有可能应对这些挑战。加拿大仍然是氢气生产技术（如Electrolyser， Stuart Energy, Hydrogenics, Next hydrogen）的关键参与者。*******目前的聚合物电解质膜电解电池利用贵金属（如铂）来催化这些水分解反应。尽管在这方面取得了重大进展，但高昂的材料成本和长期服务可靠性问题使此类设备价格昂贵。因此，开发完全不需要贵金属的装置技术是未来水电解器发展的当务之急。*******最具挑战性的反应是水的析氧反应（OER）。特别是，钴合金的结构和化学修饰已经证明它们是碱性环境中低成本OER电催化剂的最佳替代品之一。然而，即使是最好的这些材料仍然需要克服高功率要求和OER反应的低反应速率，这表明对新材料的基本需求。该提案旨在开发新的低成本，稳定可靠的非晶金属co碱电催化剂，以克服下一代阴离子交换膜碱性水电解槽中氧演变的这些限制，以提高加拿大的竞争力。*******这项NSERC发现基金预计将产生变革性的、改变范式的研究成果，重点是加拿大已经或可以成为世界领导者的氢生产领域。参与研究计划的研究生和本科生将接受高质量的多学科训练，包括批判性思维和解决问题的能力，涵盖化学、物理、工程和计算/数学建模。在全球范围内，它响应了快速变化的社会和市场对清洁能源解决方案的需求。这个高素质人员团队的协调一致，全面的努力将在5年结束时产生可行的碱性水电解槽原型，这将帮助加拿大满足我们不断增长的能源需求，同时确保环境管理。******

Countries around the globe face significant societal challenges linked to declining reserves of non-renewable energy sources, environmental pollution associated with greenhouse gas production, and the negative impacts of climate change. Extensive efforts to develop alternative, clean sources of energy such as hydrogen have become of ever increasing importance. Wind, solar and hydroelectric power, when used in the electrochemical splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen (H2O = H2 + 1/2 O2) in a device known as an electrolyser, has the potential to meet these challenges. Canada continues to be a key player in technologies for hydrogen (H2) production (e.g. Electrolyser, Stuart Energy, Hydrogenics, Next Hydrogen).*******Current polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyser cells utilize precious metals (e.g. platinum) to catalyze these water splitting reactions. In spite of significant progress on this front, high material costs and long term service reliability issues make such devices expensive. Consequently, it is imperative for the development of future water electrolysers to develop device technologies that completely eliminate the need for precious metals.*******The key reaction that has proven most challenging is the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) from water. In particular, modifications of the structure and chemistry of cobalt alloys have proven them to be amongst the best alternatives for low cost OER electrocatalysts in alkaline based environments. However, even the best of these materials still have to overcome high power requirements and poor reaction rates for the OER reaction indicating a fundamental need for new materials. This proposal is targeted at developing new low cost, stable and reliable, amorphous metal Co-base electrocatalysts to overcome these limitations in the evolution of oxygen in next generation anion exchange membrane alkaline water electrolysers to enhance Canadian competitiveness.*******This NSERC Discovery grant is anticipated to produce transformative, paradigm-changing research outcomes, focusing on the area of hydrogen production in which Canada is or can be a world leader. Graduate and undergraduate students participating in the research program will receive high-quality multidisciplinary training in critical thinking and problem solving, spanning chemistry, physics, engineering, and computing / mathematical modeling. In a global context, it responds to the needs of a rapidly-changing society and market demand for clean energy solutions. The concerted, comprehensive effort of this team of highly qualified personnel will lead to viable prototypes of alkaline water electrolysers at the end of the 5 years which will assist Canada in meeting our growing energy demand while also ensuring environmental stewardship.******