A Significant Improvement in Bubble Detachment Efficiency at Gas Evolution Reaction Electrodes by Embedding Nanofibrillar Superaerophobic Hydrogels
발표자
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초록
내용
In gas evolution reactions, most studies focused on developing efficient electrocatalysts, but concerns regarding the electrocatalysts’ long-term stability have been a main issue to be overcome. In this study, we developed a hydrogel-embedding method, which significantly enhanced Ni foam (NiF) electrodes for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) without requiring additional electrocatalysts. This method significantly reduced the bubble adhesion to the electrodes and imparted extremely bubble-repellent properties (i.e. superaerophobicity) which are thoroughly investigated by using a high-speed camera and a goniometer. Under realistic high-current conditions, superaerophobic hydrogel-embedded NiF exhibits remarkable HER performance, outperforming commercially available Pt/C catalyst-modified NiF. This hydrogel-embedding approach can universally apply to any type of gas-evolving electrode, providing a new direction for efficient gas-evolution reactions.