Flame-based processing as a practical approach for manufacturing hydrogen evolution electrodes

Catalyst structure and morphology are inevitably dictated by the synthesis route, which in-turn dictates catalyst activity, stability and utilization in the electrode. Reactive spray deposition technology (RSDT) is a promising synthesis route for electrode manufacturing because of the potential to achieve high-throughput processing under a diverse range of process configurations. This work investigates several unique approaches to Pt catalyst deposition using jet-flame synthesis for water electrolysis electrodes. Direct application of the catalyst film onto Nafion 117 and carbon paper is explored along with approaches to dispersing the Pt onto carbon or TinO2n−1. Operational challenges relating to the harsh conditions of H2 evolution and electrode adhesion are addressed by adding binder and catalyst support to the electrode structure. The RSDT technology produces an electrode, coated directly onto Nafion 117®, with a 20-fold reduction in Pt loading while maintaining high in-cell performance (2.1 V at 2 A cm−2) compared to an industry-level baseline. Durability testing at 1.8 A cm−2, 400 psi differential pressure and a temperature of 50 °C yields a consistent potential of ∼2.2 V for over 1100 h without failure. The same electrode applied directly to carbon paper resulted in a voltage of ∼2.1 V for ∼600 h without failure.