McDonald MB, Freund MS. Graphene oxide as a water dissociation catalyst in the bipolar membrane interfacial layer.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2014;
6:13790-13797. [PMID:
25046580 DOI:
10.1021/am503242v]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Bipolar membranes are formed by the lamination of an anion- and cation-exchange layer. Upon a sufficient applied reverse bias, water molecules at the layer junction dissociate, generating OH(-) and H(+), which can be useful in electrodialysis and electrosynthesis applications. Graphene oxide has been introduced into bipolar membrane junctions (illustrated in the adjacent graphic) and is shown to be an efficient new water dissociation catalyst, lowering the overpotential by 75% compared to a control membrane. It was found that adjusting deposition conditions changes the nature of the graphene oxide films, leading to tunable membrane performance. Additionally, it is shown that their low overpotentials are stable, making for industrially viable, high-performance bipolar membranes.
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