Keeping water connected at the surface halved corrosion in carbon electrodes

Green hydrogen and fuel cells live or die on how long their electrodes last — and carbon electrodes corrode. Researchers at the University of Osaka have found that the fix may not be a new material but the water itself. By using a polymer that keeps the thin film of water at the electrode's surface strongly connected, the team cut carbon corrosion by about 51%. Tested in a chlorine-producing system, a blend of the two polymers kept the electrode's activity high while limiting performance loss to 19% after 500 cycles. 'Electrodes are often considered the main players in electrochemical reactions, but the water immediately surrounding them is also important,' said Dr Yu Katayama, one of the study's corresponding authors. The work, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, points to longer-lasting electrochemical technology — the kind green hydrogen production depends on.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation