Development of a High-performance Electrolyzer for Efficient Hydrogen Production via Electrode Modification with a Commercial Catalyst

A potential strategy to promote the use of clean energy is the development of catalyst-coated cathodic electrodes that are economical, effective, and sustainable to enhance the generation of hydrogen (H2) through the electrolysis process. This study investigates the unique design and use of stainless steel (SS) coated with a CuNiZnFeOx catalyst as both anode and cathode electrodes in the alkaline electrolysis process. The electrode exhibits an improved electrochemical behavior, achieving a current density of 92 mA/cm2 at an applied voltage of 2.5 V with a surface area of 36 cm2 in 1 M KOH electrolyte at 25 ◦C. Furthermore, the H2 production is systematically investigated by varying electrolyte concentration, applied voltage, and temperature. The results demonstrate that H2 production increases significantly with enhanced electrolyte concentration (3102 mL at 2 M KOH), applied voltage (3468 mL at 3.0 V), and temperature (3202 mL at 60 ◦C) over a 300 min electrolysis time. However, optimal operating conditions are determined to be 1 M KOH, 2.5 V, and 25 ◦C, balancing performance and energy efficiency. The improved performance is primarily attributed to enhanced ionic conductivity, reduced internal resistance, and the synergistic catalytic activity of the Cu-integrated NiZnFeOx coating.