Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2023, Vol. 55: 44-115.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64544-9

• Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Energy-saving electrochemical hydrogen production via co-generative strategies in hybrid water electrolysis: Recent advances and perspectives

Diab khalafallaha,b,*(), Yunxiang Zhanga, Hao Wangc, Jong-Min Leed,*(), Qinfang Zhanga,e,*()   

  1. aSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, Jiangsu, China
    bMechanical Design and Materials Department, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Aswan University, P.O. Box 81521, Aswan, Egypt
    cResearch Institute of Superconductor Electronics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
    dSchool of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore
    eJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Environmental Materials, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, Jiangsu, China
  • Received:2023-08-04 Accepted:2023-10-13 Online:2023-12-18 Published:2023-12-07
  • Contact: *E-mail: diab_khalaf@energy.aswu.edu.eg (D. khalafallah), jmlee@ntu.edu.sg (J.-M. Lee), qfangzhang@gmail.com (Q. Zhang).
  • About author:Diab Khalafallah received his M.Sc. degree in 2012 and PhD degree in 2017. He is currently an Associate professor at the Faculty of Energy Engineering, Aswan University (Egypt). Khalafallah joined the Yancheng Institute of Technology (Jiangsu, China) as a researcher in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. His research activities are focused on developing functional materials for energy conversion and storage systems including hybrid water electrolysis, hydrogen evolution reaction, supercapacitors, and water splitting.
    Jong-Min Lee received his Ph.D. degree at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University. He worked in the Chemical Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley as a postdoctoral fellow. Currently, he is an associate professor in the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Nanyang Technological University. His research interests are electrochemistry, green chemistry, and nanotechnology.
    Dr. Qinfang Zhang is currently a full professor at the Yancheng Institute of Technology (Jiangsu, China). He received his PhD degree from the Nanjing University in 2005. His current research focus on the preparation and application of atomic clusters and oxyhalides. From 2005, he has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, such as: Phys. Rev. Lett., Nature Comm., Adv. Mater., Phys. Rev. B, Appl. Surf. Sci., Appl. Phys. Lett. His publications have been cited 3687 times, and his H-Index is 31. He has been leading 14 scientific research projects including the National Defense Science and Technology Innovation Special Zone Project, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Provincial Outstanding Youth Fund and so on.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(12274361);Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20211361);College Natural Science Research Project of Jiangsu Province(20KJA430004)

Abstract:

Traditional overall water splitting has been regarded as a potential pathway for H2 production, but the intrinsic slow kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction severely hampers the efficiency of H2 production. Given the challenges in traditional water electrolysis, coupling the kinetically favorable anodic electrooxidation reactions of easily oxidizable substances with the hydrogen evolution reaction in a hybrid water electrolysis (HWE) configuration not only solves the pollutant emission and biomass recycling problems but also maximizes the return on energy profiteering. Various advanced compounds have been engineered through compositional regulation, structural optimization, surface nano-building, and electronic structure modification, yet some issues like tedious preparation and unsatisfactory durability still exist. Considering the gap between research and practical deployment, this review amply addresses the state-of-the-art achievements of synergistic electrocatalysis systems for the co-production of high-purity H2 and valuable products with a low energy consumption and high Faradaic efficiency. An overview of HWE system is presented first accompanied by a discussion on the design and engineering of high reactive/selective/stable electrodes/electrocatalysts for anodic oxidation of organic/biomass substrates. Importantly, the in-depth understanding of possible reaction mechanisms from both experimental and theoretical perspectives is elucidated to promote the efficiency of synergistic electrocatalysis. Subsequently, the recent research breakthroughs in the field of HWE technology are emphatically reviewed, providing a new room for low-voltage H2 generation from waste products and renewable feedstock. Some mechanism explorations, feasibility analyses, and correlation comparisons are highlighted. Finally, we propose the prospects on existing challenges with some opportunities for future research directions to push forward the progress in synergistic electrocatalysis configurations.

Key words: Anodic electrooxidation reaction, Small organic molecule, Hybrid water electrolysis, Energy-saving H2 production, Value-added product, Transition metal, Synergistic effect, Active site, Catalytic activity, Stability