Continuous electrolytic-catalytic decoupled water electrolysis for green hydrogen production

H2Bro will develop a transformative decoupled water electrolysis process for green hydrogen production.

It aims for high efficiency in a continuous and isothermal process that supports membraneless electrolysis with high-throughput and minimal energy losses, going far beyond other electrolysis processes.

I propose to achieve these goals by dividing the oxygen evolution reaction into two sub-reactions, electrochemical and chemical ones, carried out in different cells.

Towards this end, I propose to use a soluble redox couple that will be oxidized electrochemically while hydrogen evolves at the cathode in one cell, and reduced spontaneously in the presence of a catalyst in a chemical reaction that evolves oxygen in another cell.

I have identified the bromide/bromate couple as a promising candidate due to its high solubility and suitable redox potential.

Fundamental materials challenges will be addressed in developing the electrolytic process with an aim to achieve high efficiency and selectivity to produce bromate without volatile side products such as O2 or other loss reactions, and a suitable catalyst for spontaneous bromate reduction and oxygen evolution.

Addressing these challenges requires a multidisciplinary research in materials science, electrochemistry, catalysis and process engineering, where questions of materials selection and catalyst activity and selectivity intertwine with process parameters such as electrolyte composition, temperature and flow, with an ultimate goal of combining the electrolytic and catalytic sub-processes into a seamless process in a flow system that generates hydrogen and oxygen in different cells at high efficiency and rate.

Progress towards these aims will lead the way to a competitive solution for green hydrogen production to fight global warming, and advance the science of catalysts and electrodes for advanced water electrolysis and related technologies.