Renewable methods of generating hydrogen have gained significant interest in recent years, not only based on deployment of vehicles using hydrogen fuel, but also due the importance of hydrogen in many industrial processes.  Currently over 95% of hydrogen is made from fossil fuels through natural gas reforming or coal gasification, contributing the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in processes such as ammonia production.  Water electrolysis is the most commercially mature pathway for renewable hydrogen, but materials research is still essential for continuing cost reduction in electrolysis, in order to enable higher penetration of renewable technologies for hydrogen production through competitive pricing.  However, many claims made about new materials relative to state of the art are misleading at best, due to lack of understanding of device operation and the multiple factors that contribute to catalyst selection.  In addition, while isolating different components and materials of a system to test them independently is important for determining inherent performance, the end application requires integration.  A catalyst which performs very well in liquid electrolyte but interacts unfavorably with the binder in the electrode may provide understanding for improved catalyst design, but should not be overstated as a solution to the industry.  This talk will describe some of the complex interactions that need to be considered, and the importance of working with industry in vetting the true potential of new materials and working on the right scientific challenges.<br/>

Benchmarking materials for water splitting: Making appropriate comparisons

256th National Meeting (2018)

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