Superaerophobic porous 3D catalytic electrodes for water splitting

电解析气反应（GER）在许多电化学反应和过程中很重要，如碱性水和氯电解。这种电化学过程的效率取决于电催化材料的适当选择，所述电催化材料可以在尽可能低的过电位下实现高反应速率（即高电流密度）。 然而，在电极表面处形成粘附气泡通过减少催化剂表面与反应物之间的接触以及增加欧姆降而对电池性能具有不利影响。该提案的总体目标是通过电极表面的纳米工程来促进气泡的被动管理。因此，将进行全面的研究，以减少气泡尺寸，粘附力和停留时间的目标的电极表面的纳米形态的效果。这将通过增材制造方法来实现，利用我们的工业合作伙伴（NRC-Boucherville，Centerline和Vac Aero）的专业知识，旨在开发新知识并确定一种适当的方法来大规模生产电极，并在所需的规模上改进被动气泡管理，以集成到所述市场的制造产品中，如水电解槽与Hydrogenics。 在操作参数方面，改善格尔电极处的气泡管理将具有若干益处：（i）大大减少气体覆盖;（2）增强局部热/质传递系数，因此允许更高的电流密度操作，以及（3）使用气泡流和气体提升以最小化来自近-远距离外部流体管理的寄生损失。零间隙电化学电池将转化为降低的过电位、增加的电流密度和更高的总工艺效率。共培养10名HQP，包括2名博士，2名硕士，2名PDF和4名本科生。

Electrolytic gas evolution reactions (GERs) are important in numerous electrochemical reactions and processes like alkaline water and chlorine electrolysis. The efficiency of such electrochemical processes depend on the proper choice of electrocatalytic materials that can achieve high reaction rates (i.e. high current densities) at the lowest possible overpotential. However, the formation of adhering bubbles at the electrode surface has a detrimental effect on the cell performance by decreasing the contact between the catalyst surface and the reactants, as well as increasing the ohmic drop. The overarching goal of this proposal is to foster passive management of bubbles through nano-engineering of the electrode surface. Thus, a comprehensive study of the effect of nano-morphology of the electrode surface will be undertaken with the objectives of decreasing bubble size, adhesion force and residence time. This will be achieved using additive manufacturing approach leveraging the expertise of our industrial partners (NRC-Boucherville, Centerline and Vac Aero) with the objective of developing new knowledge AND identifying a proper way to mass produce electrodes with improved passive gas bubbles management on scales required for integration into manufacturing products for said markets like water electrolysers in conjunction with Hydrogenics. In terms of operating parameters, improved management of gas bubbles at GER electrodes will have several benefits: (i) strong diminution of gas blanketing; (2) enhance local heat/mass transfer coefficients, therefore permitting higher current density operation, and (3) use of bubble flow and gas lift to minimize parasitic losses from external fluid management in near-zero gap electrochemical cells that will translate into reduced overpotentials, increased current density, and higher overall process efficiency. A total of 10 HQPs are going to be trained, including 2PhDs, 2MScs, 2PDFs and 4 undergraduates.