Chinese Journal of Applied Chemistry ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (8): 1109-1125.DOI: 10.19894/j.issn.1000-0518.230126

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Research Progress on Superhydrophilic/Superaerophobic Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting

Cui-Ying TAN1,2, Wei-Chao DING1, Ting-Ting MA1, Yao XIAO1(), Jian LIU2()   

  1. 1.College of Materials Science and Engineering,Qingdao University of Science and Technology,Qingdao 266042,China
    2.Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology,Chinese Academy of Science,Qingdao 266101,China
  • Received:2023-04-29 Accepted:2023-07-06 Published:2023-08-01 Online:2023-08-24
  • Contact: Yao XIAO,Jian LIU
  • About author:liujian@qibebt.ac.cn
    xiaoyao@qust.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22109081);the National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program(202210426071)

Abstract:

Among many hydrogen production technologies, electrolysis of water has many obvious advantages, such as environmentally friendly, simple and easy to operate. Industrial-scale hydrogen production is typically carried out at high current density. A great number of H2 bubbles will generate on the electrode surface during the process of hydrogen production. The aggregation and adhesion of bubbles on the electrode surface will lead to a large number of active sites being covered, resulting in the reduction of the efficiency. Therefore, regulating bubble wetting behavior is crucial for industrial electrolysis of water. In recent years, superaerophobic materials have attracted much attention due to their unique wetting capabilities. Superwetting interface materials can be constructed by controlling the chemical composition of the electrode surface and constructing rough structure at micro and nano scales. This type of material has a superhydrophilic/superaerophobic interface structure, which facilitates the effective infiltration of aqueous electrolyte and accelerates the release of in-situ generated bubbles, thus enhancing the water splitting performance of the catalyst. This paper systematically introduces the water splitting catalysts with superhydrophilic/superaerophobic interfacial structures reported in recent years, outlines the synthetic design strategies and catalytic performance of the catalysts, and the current research status, challenges and application prospects of superwetting water splitting catalysts are summarized and prospected.

Key words: Superaerophobic, Superhydrophilic, Interface, Water splitting, Nanomaterial

CLC Number: