'Barnacle Structure Catalyst'... Contributing to Green Hydrogen

Development of Cobalt Metal-Based Catalyst with Three-Layered TiO2 Structure
Easy Active Site Transformation Enhances Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Schematic diagram of catalytic reaction published in ACS Energy Letters

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a catalytic technology that can produce more hydrogen than before without using expensive platinum-based metals. It is expected to be a technology that will contribute to the spread of 'green hydrogen.'

The research team led by Professor Jaeyoung Lee of the Department of Earth Environmental Engineering at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, together with Professor Kangwoo Cho's team at Pohang University of Science and Technology, developed a catalyst that improves the efficiency of water electrolysis, which decomposes water to generate oxygen and hydrogen. The research results were published on the 11th in the international academic journal ACS Energy Letters.

Enhancing Oxygen Evolution Reaction with Barnacle-Structured Catalyst

Professor Lee Jaeyoung, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

The research team developed a cobalt-based catalyst with a three-layered titania (TiO2) structure resembling barnacles, which have a large surface area. This catalyst has expanded active sites and improved adsorption ability for reactants, making the oxygen evolution reaction during water electrolysis superior to that of conventional cobalt metal catalysts. When more oxygen is generated during electrolysis, more hydrogen is also produced.

The team theoretically elucidated the reaction results of the developed catalyst through real-time synchrotron radiation-based X-ray analysis. They observed an increase in the density of active sites within the catalyst due to an irreversible oxidation reaction during the oxygen evolution reaction, and demonstrated that the oxygen vacancies present in the catalyst structure enhance the oxygen affinity of cobalt metal, overcoming the limitation of cobalt metal’s slow adsorption with reactants. Through this process, the research team reported that the energy efficiency of water electrolysis improved by 13% compared to existing catalysts, increasing hydrogen production per unit of electricity.

Contributing to Green Hydrogen Production

Professors Jaeyoung Lee and Kangwoo Cho stated, "By proposing a new three-layer barnacle-shaped catalyst structure and elucidating the reaction mechanism, we have expanded the candidate pool for high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction catalysts." They added, "This is expected to accelerate the path to low-energy, eco-friendly hydrogen production and significantly contribute to the hydrogen economy."

Currently, over 97% of hydrogen production is derived from thermochemical reforming of fossil fuels such as coal. This is a form of 'gray hydrogen,' and the global challenge is to transition to 'green hydrogen' produced by eco-friendly methods such as water splitting. Hydrogen is gaining attention worldwide as an energy source that can replace fossil fuels, which are the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide.

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