Abstract:
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Industrially profitable water splitting is one of the great challenges in the development of a viable and sustainable hydrogen
economy. Alkaline electrolysers using Earth-abundant catalysts remain the most economically viable route to electrolytic
hydrogen, but improved efficiency is desirable. Recently, electron spin polarization was described as a potential way to improve
water-splitting catalysis. Here, we report the significant enhancement of alkaline water electrolysis when a moderate magnetic
field (≤450!mT) is applied to the anode. Current density increments above 100% (over 100!mA!cm−2) were found for highly
magnetic electrocatalysts, such as the mixed oxide NiZnFe4Ox. Magnetic enhancement works even for decorated Ni–foam electrodes
with very high current densities, improving their intrinsic activity by about 40% to reach over 1!A!cm−2 at low overpotentials.
Thanks to its simplicity, our discovery opens opportunities for implementing magnetic enhancement in water splitting. |