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Su H, Sun J, Wang C, Wang H. Temperature impacts on the growth of hydrogen bubbles during ultrasonic vibration-enhanced hydrogen generation. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2024; 102:106734. [PMID: 38128391 PMCID: PMC10772823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
To improve the hydrogen precipitation performance on the surface of the catalytic layer of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen cathode, ultrasonic vibration was employed to accelerate the detachment of hydrogen bubbles on the surface of the catalytic layer. Based on the energy and mechanical analyses of nano and microbubbles, the hydrogen bubble generation mechanism and the effect of temperature on bubble parameters during the evolution process when the ultrasonic field is coupled with the electric field are investigated. The nucleation frequency of the hydrogen bubbles, the relationship between the pressure and temperature and the operating temperature during the generation and detachment of bubbles as well as the detachment radius of bubbles under the action of the ultrasonic field are obtained. The effects of ultrasound and temperature on hydrogen production were verified by visual experiments. The results show that the operating temperature affects the nucleation, growth, and detachment processes of hydrogen bubbles. The effect of temperature on the nucleation frequency of bubbles mainly comes from the Gibbs free energy required for the electrolysis reaction. The bubble radius and growth rate are both related to the temperature to the power of one-third. Ultrasonic waves enhance the separation of hydrogen bubbles from the catalyst surface by acoustic cavitation and impact effects. An increase in the working temperature reduces the activation energy barriers to be overcome for the electrolysis reaction of water, which together with a decrease in the Gibbs free energy and the surface tension coefficient, leads to an increase in the nucleation frequency of the catalytic layer and a decrease in the radius of bubble detachment, and thus improves the hydrogen precipitation performance. Visualization experiments show that in actual PEM hydrogen production, ultrasonic intensification can promote the formation of nucleation sites. The ultrasonic induced fine bubble flow not only has a drag effect on the bubble, but also intensifies the polymerization growth of the bubble due to the impact of the fine bubble flow, thus speeding up the detachment of the bubble, shortening the covering time of the hydrogen bubble on the surface of the catalytic electrode, reducing the activation voltage loss and improve the hydrogen production efficiency of PEM. The experimental results show that when the electrolyte is 60°C, the maximum hydrogen production efficiency of ultrasound is increased by 7.34%, and the average hydrogen production efficiency is increased by 5.83%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqian Su
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China; Building Environment and Energy Power Engineering Experimental Center, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jindong Sun
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China; Building Environment and Energy Power Engineering Experimental Center, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China.
| | - Caizhu Wang
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China; Building Environment and Energy Power Engineering Experimental Center, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Haofeng Wang
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China; Building Environment and Energy Power Engineering Experimental Center, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
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Cheng X, Du ZD, Ding Y, Li FY, Hua ZS, Liu H. Bubble Management for Electrolytic Water Splitting by Surface Engineering: A Review. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:16994-17008. [PMID: 38050682 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
During electrocatalytic water splitting, the management of bubbles possesses great importance to reduce the overpotential and improve the stability of the electrode. Bubble evolution is accomplished by nucleation, growth, and detachment. The expanding nucleation sites, decreasing bubble size, and timely detachment of bubbles from the electrode surface are key factors in bubble management. Recently, the surface engineering of electrodes has emerged as a promising strategy for bubble management in practical water splitting due to its reliability and efficiency. In this review, we start with a discussion of the bubble behavior on the electrodes during water splitting. Then we summarize recent progress in the management of bubbles from the perspective of surface physical (electrocatalytic surface morphology) and surface chemical (surface composition) considerations, focusing on the surface texture design, three-dimensional construction, wettability coating technology, and functional group modification. Finally, we present the principles of bubble management, followed by an insightful perspective and critical challenges for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Green Fabrication and Surface Technology of Advanced Metal Materials (Anhui University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Maanshan 243002, China
- School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maxiang Road, Maanshan 243032, China
| | - Zhong-de Du
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maxiang Road, Maanshan 243032, China
| | - Yu Ding
- School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maxiang Road, Maanshan 243032, China
| | - Fu-Yu Li
- School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maxiang Road, Maanshan 243032, China
| | - Zhong-Sheng Hua
- School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maxiang Road, Maanshan 243032, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Green Fabrication and Surface Technology of Advanced Metal Materials (Anhui University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Maanshan 243002, China
- School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maxiang Road, Maanshan 243032, China
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Zhao P, Zhang C, Gong S. Size Ranges of Effective Nucleation Cavities on Gas-Evolving Surfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:16101-16110. [PMID: 37920930 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Bubble nucleation has a significant influence on mass transfer and energy conversion in electrochemical gas-evolving reactions. In this work, we establish a theoretical model for bubble nucleation from gas cavities on gas-evolving surfaces. Based on analyses of transient gas diffusion within the concentration boundary layer and supersaturation equation for stable bubble nuclei, we determined the size ranges of effective nucleation cavities on gas-evolving surfaces under different levels of supersaturation conditions. In addition, a criterion for the incipience of bubble nucleation on gas-evolving surfaces is proposed. We investigate the effects of the contact angle, cone angle, concentration boundary layer thickness, ambient pressure, and temperature on the size ranges of effective nucleation cavities, respectively. We demonstrate that a larger contact angle or a smaller cone angle can broaden the size range of effective cavities, thereby promoting bubble nucleation from cavities. We also show that increasing the concentration boundary layer thickness causes larger cavities to become effective nucleation sites, which significantly expands the size range of effective cavities. In contrast, increasing the ambient pressure enables smaller cavities to become effective nucleation sites, resulting in an expansion in the size range of effective cavities. Results of this work will contribute to the manipulation of bubble nucleation densities and the optimal design of gas-evolving electrodes in various electrochemical gas-evolving reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Zhao
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Chaoyang Zhang
- Paris Elite Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shuai Gong
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Zhang C, Xu Z, Han N, Tian Y, Kallio T, Yu C, Jiang L. Superaerophilic/superaerophobic cooperative electrode for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction via enhanced mass transfer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd6978. [PMID: 36652519 PMCID: PMC9848275 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add6978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as an effective method to produce green hydrogen, is greatly impeded by inefficient mass transfer, i.e., bubble adhesion on electrode, bubble dispersion in the vicinity of electrode, and poor dissolved H2 diffusion, which results in blocked electrocatalytic area and large H2 concentration overpotential. Here, we report a superaerophilic/superaerophobic (SAL/SAB) cooperative electrode to efficiently promote bubble transfer by asymmetric Laplace pressure and accelerate dissolved H2 diffusion through reducing diffusion distance. Benefiting from the enhanced mass transfer, the overpotential for the SAL/SAB cooperative electrode at -10 mA cm-2 is only -19 mV, compared to -61 mV on the flat Pt electrode. By optimizing H2SO4 concentration, the SAL/SAB cooperative electrode can achieve ultrahigh current density (-1867 mA cm-2) at an overpotential of -500 mV. We can envision that the SAL/SAB cooperative strategy is an effective method to improve HER efficiency and stimulate the understanding of various gas-involved processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhe Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Nana Han
- Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
| | - Ye Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Tanja Kallio
- Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
| | - Cunming Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
- Corresponding author. (C.Y.); (L.J.)
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
- Corresponding author. (C.Y.); (L.J.)
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Lake JR, Soto ÁM, Varanasi KK. Impact of Bubbles on Electrochemically Active Surface Area of Microtextured Gas-Evolving Electrodes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:3276-3283. [PMID: 35229608 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The adverse effects of electrochemical bubbles on the performance of gas-evolving electrodes have been extensively studied. However, the ways in which bubbles dynamically alter the electrochemically active surface area during bubble evolution are not well understood. Here, we study hydrogen evolution at industrially relevant current densities by using controlled microtexture to examine this fundamental relationship. Surprisingly, the most densely microtextured electrodes have the lowest performance on an active surface area basis. Using high-speed imaging, we show that the benefits of microtexture to release smaller bubbles more consistently are outweighed by the inactivation induced by bubbles growing within the denser microtexture, causing these performance limitations. Additionally, we show that the area beneath adhered bubbles is electrochemically active, contrary to currently held assumptions. Our study therefore has broad implications for electrode design to avoid ineffective use of precious catalyst materials, which is especially critical for porous electrodes and three-dimensional structures with high specific surface areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack R Lake
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Álvaro Moreno Soto
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kripa K Varanasi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Liu G, Wong WSY, Kraft M, Ager JW, Vollmer D, Xu R. Wetting-regulated gas-involving (photo)electrocatalysis: biomimetics in energy conversion. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:10674-10699. [PMID: 34369513 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00258a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
(Photo)electrolysis of water or gases with water to species serving as industrial feedstocks and energy carriers, such as hydrogen, ammonia, ethylene, propanol, etc., has drawn tremendous attention. Moreover, these processes can often be driven by renewable energy under ambient conditions as a sustainable alternative to traditional high-temperature and high-pressure synthesis methods. In addition to the extensive studies on catalyst development, increasing attention has been paid to the regulation of gas transport/diffusion behaviors during gas-involving (photo)electrocatalytic reactions towards the goal of creating industrially viable catalytic systems with high reaction rates, excellent long-term stabilities and near-unity selectivities. Biomimetic surfaces and systems with special wetting capabilities and structural advantages can shed light on the future design of (photo)electrodes and address long-standing challenges. This article is dedicated to bridging the fields of wetting and catalysis by reviewing the cutting-edge design methodologies of both gas-evolving and gas-consuming (photo)electrocatalytic systems. We first introduce the fundamentals of various in-air/underwater wetting states and their corresponding bioinspired structural properties. The relationship amongst the bubble transport behavior, wettability, and porosity/tortuosity is also discussed. Next, the latest implementations of wetting-related design principles for gas-evolving reactions (i.e. the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction) and gas-consuming reactions (i.e. the oxygen reduction reaction and CO2 reduction reaction) are summarized. For photoelectrode designs, additional factors are taken into account, such as light absorption and the separation, transport and recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes. The influences of wettability and 3D structuring of (photo)electrodes on the catalytic activity, stability and selectivity are analyzed to reveal the underlying mechanisms. Finally, remaining questions and related future perspectives are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Liu
- School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459 Singapore. and Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), CREATE Tower, 1 Create Way, 138602 Singapore
| | - William S Y Wong
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Kraft
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), CREATE Tower, 1 Create Way, 138602 Singapore and Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, West Cambridge Site, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Joel W Ager
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA and Berkeley Educational Alliance for Research in Singapore (BEARS), CREATE Tower, 1 Create Way, 138602 Singapore
| | - Doris Vollmer
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Rong Xu
- School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459 Singapore. and Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), CREATE Tower, 1 Create Way, 138602 Singapore
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Mareev S, Skolotneva E, Cretin M, Nikonenko V. Modeling the Formation of Gas Bubbles inside the Pores of Reactive Electrochemical Membranes in the Process of the Anodic Oxidation of Organic Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115477. [PMID: 34067406 PMCID: PMC8197004 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of reactive electrochemical membranes (REM) in flow-through mode during the anodic oxidation of organic compounds makes it possible to overcome the limitations of plate anodes: in the case of REM, the area of the electrochemically active surface is several orders of magnitude larger, and the delivery of organic compounds to the reaction zone is controlled by convective flow rather than diffusion. The main problem with REM is the formation of fouling and gas bubbles in the pores, which leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the process because the hydraulic resistance increases and the electrochemically active surface is shielded. This work aims to study the processes underlying the reduction in the efficiency of anodic oxidation, and in particular the formation of gas bubbles and the recharge of the REM pore surface at a current density exceeding the limiting kinetic value. We propose a simple one-dimensional non-stationary model of the transport of diluted species during the anodic oxidation of paracetamol using REM to describe the above effects. The processing of the experimental data was carried out. It was found that the absolute value of the zeta potential of the pore surface decreases with time, which leads to a decrease in the permeate flux due to a reduction in the electroosmotic flow. It was shown that in the solution that does not contain organic components, gas bubbles form faster and occupy a larger pore fraction than in the case of the presence of paracetamol; with an increase in the paracetamol concentration, the gas fraction decreases. This behavior is due to a decrease in the generation of oxygen during the recombination reaction of the hydroxyl radicals, which are consumed in the oxidation reaction of the organic compounds. Because the presence of bubbles increases the hydraulic resistance, the residence time of paracetamol—and consequently its degradation degree—increases, but the productivity goes down. The model has predictive power and, after simple calibration, can be used to predict the performance of REM anodic oxidation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semyon Mareev
- Physical Chemistry Department, Kuban State University, 149 Stavropolskaya st., 350040 Krasnodar, Russia; (S.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Ekaterina Skolotneva
- Physical Chemistry Department, Kuban State University, 149 Stavropolskaya st., 350040 Krasnodar, Russia; (S.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Marc Cretin
- Institut Européen des Membranes-UMR5635, 34095 Montpellier, France;
| | - Victor Nikonenko
- Physical Chemistry Department, Kuban State University, 149 Stavropolskaya st., 350040 Krasnodar, Russia; (S.M.); (E.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-918-414-5816
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