Summary:
UCLA researchers have developed a novel catalytic system that improves reaction kinetics, durability, and resistance to impurities, making it a promising candidate for water electrolyzers and renewable chemical fuel production.
Background:
Hydrogen, boasting a remarkable energy density of 140 MJ/kg (nearly triple that of typical solid fuels at 50 MJ/kg), is emerging as a promising alternative for replacing fossil fuels. Within the context of hydrogen production via electrolysis, platinum supported by carbon (Pt/C) catalysts plays a pivotal role. However, these catalysts exhibit limitations, including low durability, susceptibility to impurity poisoning, and relatively high costs. Notably, impurities like CO or H2S can readily impair activity and lifetime of Pt/C. With projections of a significant surge in global hydrogen demand, there arises a pressing need for the development of advanced catalysts.
Innovation:
UCLA researchers have developed a promising catalytic structure referred to as "Ni(OH)2-shelled Pt-tetrapods." This new core-shell structure can significantly enhance reaction kinetics and allow selective transport of certain feedstock, while protecting the core catalysts from competitive adsorption and morphology degradation, leading to both optimized activity and durability. It allows the hydrogen transport rate to be tuned through the shell and thus tailor the local equilibrium pH at the surface of the core catalysts, leading to the desired proton concentration for pH-sensitive reactions. The technology offers improved reaction kinetics, the ability to effectively counteract catalyst poisoning, and an extended catalyst lifespan, even under challenging conditions. The system achieves a remarkable performance boost of 28x compared to conventional Pt/C catalysts. The system's exceptional stability and prolonged durability make it an ideal choice for practical applications in alkaline water electrolyzers and renewable chemical fuel production.
Potential Applications:
• Hydrogen/hydrogen fuel production
• Fuel cells
• Wastewater treatment
• Biosensors
Advantages:
• Achieves an unprecedented performance 28X higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst
• Exceptionally stable catalytic activity and long durability
• Significantly reduced Pt-loading
• Relaxed water purity requirements for practical water electrolysis
• Around 13% of the total capital costs can be reduced
• High activity in regular water
• Efficient one-pot synthesis strategy
Development to Date:
First successful demonstration of the invention: 09/24/2020.
Related Papers from the Inventors:
Amorphous nickel hydroxide shell tailors local chemical environment on platinum surface for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.
Chengzhang Wan, Zisheng Zhang, Juncai Dong, Mingjie Xu, Heting Pu, Daniel Baumann, Zhaoyang Lin, Sibo Wang, Jin Huang, Aamir Hassan Shah, Xiaoqing Pan, Tiandou Hu, Anastassia N Alexandrova, Yu Huang, Xiangfeng Duan
Nature materials ,1-8(2023) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-023-01584-3
Reference: UCLA Case No. 2023-212
Lead Inventor: Prof. Xiangfeng Duan, Prof. Yu Huang and Dr. Chengzhang Wan.