High performance ceramic carbon electrode-based anodes for use in the Cu–Cl thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production

A high performance ceramic carbon electrode (CCE) was fabricated by the sol–gel method to study the CuCl electrolysis in Cu–Cl thermochemical cycle. The electrochemical behavior and stability of the CCE was investigated by polarization experiments at different concentrations of CuCl/HCl system. The CCE displayed excellent anodic performance and vastly outperformed the bare carbon fiber paper (CFP) even at high concentrations of CuCl (0.5 M) and HCl (6 M), which is explained in terms of increased active area and enhanced anion transport properties. Further enhancement of activity was achieved by coating the CCE layer onto both sides of the CFP substrate.