Efficient Water-Splitting with Electroconductive Cellulose Nanowire Structure-Based Electrodes

With the increasing global demand for eco-friendly hydrogen energy, extensive research and development efforts have focused on designing efficient electrocatalysts for water splitting. It is essential to develop eart-abundant material based electrodes that ensure both long-term stability and excellent electrochemical performance for sustainable hydrogen production.
In this work, we propose a novel electrode architecture based on cellulose. Although cellulose is intrinsically an insulating material, it can be structurally engineered to make it suitable for electrochemical systems. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were deposited onto a substrate and subsequently treated with ion beam irradiation to induce the formation of unique surface nanostructures. These structures provide a high surface area and function as conductive nanostructures capable of incorporating metal species. Furthermore, the inherently high mechanical strength of cellulose can be preserved after this processing, suggesting a positive contribution to the long-term structural stability of the electrode.
The electrode developed in this study demonstrates that cellulose nanocrystals can be utilized electrochemically without the need for complete carbonization, presenting a novel approach to the design of electrocatalysts for water-splitting applications.