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Carbonaceous Hydrogen‐Evolution Catalyst Containing Cobalt Surrounded by a Tuned Local Structure
Author(s) -
Maruyama Jun,
Ioroi Tsutomu,
Hasegawa Takahiro,
Mori Takuya,
Orikasa Yuki,
Uchimoto Yoshiharu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201402253
Subject(s) - catalysis , proton exchange membrane fuel cell , cobalt , chemical engineering , hydrogen , noble metal , electrolysis , materials science , hydrogen production , electrolysis of water , inorganic chemistry , water splitting , chemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , photocatalysis , engineering , electrolyte
The low activity and durability of noble‐metal‐free catalysts in acidic media are major problems that hinder their practical use. This study reports significantly enhanced activity of a cobalt‐containing carbonaceous catalyst used for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction in a water electrolyzer by using a proton‐exchange membrane (PEM), which is an efficient energy‐conversion device that is suitable for intermittent renewable energy sources. On the basis of X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure, the enhancement in activity was attributed to a change in the local structure surrounding the Co atom. The PEM water electrolyzer formed by using the catalyst with an optimized structure and Co surface concentration showed an enthalpy efficiency of 80 % at 1 A cm −2 .