A Standard Electrolyzer Test Cell Design for Evaluating Catalysts and Cell Components for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis [Old Version]

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis technology is an environmentally friendly method for hydrogen production without carbon dioxide emissions. The development of this technology is hindered by the sluggish rates of the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, demanding the rational design of electrocatalysts for these processes. Although numerous hydrogen and oxygen evolution electrocatalysts are reported in the literature, there is currently no standard set of conditions or cell design under which they can be tested; variance in testing conditions and water electrolyzer components from one study to another therefore hampers a full and coherent comparison of novel electrocatalysts for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis. Herein, a standard water electrolyzer test cell was designed and optimized, such that this test cell can be adopted as a universal benchmark for evaluating novel electrocatalysts (and indeed other cell components) for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis. The performance of this water electrolyzer was evaluated using commercial electrocatalysts, with an optimized cell found to deliver current densities of 1.82 A cm–2 and 2.35 A cm–2 at cell voltages of 2.0 V and at 60 °C using Fumasep FAA-3-50 and Sustainion X37-50 membranes, respectively. Guidance for assembling and operating the water electrolyzer is provided, along with computer-aided design drawings of the electrolyzer and its components to allow others to construct their own identical cells for benchmarking catalysts and other cell components for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis.

阴离子交换膜水电解（anion exchange membrane water electrolysis）技术是一种无二氧化碳排放的环保制氢方法。该技术的发展受制于析氢反应与析氧反应的迟缓动力学特性，亟需针对这两类反应合理设计电催化剂。尽管现有学术文献已报道了大量析氢、析氧用电催化剂，但目前尚无统一的标准测试条件与电解槽设计方案用于这类催化剂的性能评测；不同研究间测试条件及水电解槽组件的差异，使得针对阴离子交换膜水电解用新型电催化剂的全面且一致性对比难以实现。为此，本研究设计并优化了一套标准化水电解测试槽，该装置可作为评估阴离子交换膜水电解用新型电催化剂（以及其他电解槽组件）的通用基准平台。采用商用电催化剂对该优化后电解槽的性能进行了评测：在60℃、槽电压2.0 V的条件下，分别使用Fumasep FAA-3-50与Sustainion X37-50膜时，该电解槽可实现1.82 A cm–2与2.35 A cm–2的电流密度。本文同时提供了该电解槽的组装与操作指南，以及电解槽及其组件的计算机辅助设计（computer-aided design, CAD）图纸，便于其他研究者复刻同款电解槽，用于阴离子交换膜水电解用电催化剂与其他组件的基准测试。