The Korean Society of Surface Science and Engineering

Anion exchange membrane electrolysis is considered a promising next-generation hydrogen production technology that can produce low-cost, clean hydrogen. However, anion exchange membrane electrolysis technology is in its early stages of development and requires intensive research on electrodes, which are a key component of the catalyst-system interface. In this study, we optimized the pressure conditions of the hot-pressing process to manufacture cobalt oxide electrodes for the development of a high uniformity and high adhesion electrode production process for the oxygen evolution reaction. As the pressure increased, the reduction of pores within the electrode and increased densification of catalytic particles led to the formation of a uniform electrode surface. The cobalt oxide electrode optimized for pressure conditions exhibited improved catalytic activity and durability. The optimized electrode was used as the anode in an AEMWE single cell, exhibiting a current density of 1.53 A cm^-2 at a cell voltage of 1.85 V. In a durability test conducted for 100 h at a constant current density of 500 mA cm^-2, it demonstrated excellent durability with a low degradation rate of 15.9 mV kh^-1, maintaining 99% of its initial performance.

Keywords Hydrogen production, Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis, Oxygen evolution reaction, Cobalt Oxide, Highly uniform electrode.