Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
Alkaline water electrolysis: innovations in electrocatalysts, binders, and accessible tools Anzel Falch 1* , Alex le Roux 1 , Tarisai Velempin 1 , Fariya Moosa 1 , Adam Shnier 1 , Rueben Pfukwa 2 , Jan J. Weigand 3 1 Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa, 2 Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, 7602, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, 3 Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany *Corresponding author: anzel.falch@wits.ac.za Green hydrogen production via alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) faces challenges such as slow water dissociation kinetics and suboptimal components. This project investigates advancements in electrocatalysts, binders, and electrochemical tools, focusing on cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternatives. Nickel-manganese electrocatalysts synthesized through a hydrothermal process show synergistic activity, benefiting from nickel’s 3d electron flexibility and manganese’s catalytic properties 1 . By optimizing the metal ratios and synthesis conditions, enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics and reduced overpotentials were achieved compared to individual oxides. To overcome the environmental concerns associated with traditional Nafion™ binders 2 , a novel poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based binder was developed. PVA’s hydrophilic properties boost the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), demonstrating significant activity and stability in alkaline conditions. While attempts to incorporate branched poly(ethylenimine) (bPEI) and poly(pyrrole) (PPy) were made, PVA alone outperformed Nafion™, offering a cost-effective and sustainable alternative. Given the challenges of limited access to expensive electrochemical equipment, an open-hardware approach led to the creation of a low-cost electrode rotator prototype, made from locally sourced materials and a 3D printer. Validation through Levich analysis confirmed its reliability, with diffusion coefficients matching literature values 3 . This work showcases how combining innovative materials with accessible technology can advance AWE and contribute to sustainable hydrogen production, supporting SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
Figure 1: (a) Rotating disk electrode prototype 3 , (b) Diffusion limited current determination and (c) a Levich plot for 5 mM K 3 Fe(CN) 6 / K 4 Fe(CN) 6 in 0.1 M KCl Key words: water splitting, electrocatalysts, 3D printing References 1. Barua, S. et al., Coatings , 2023, 13, 1102. 2. Di Virgilio, M. et al., Clean Technol ., 2023, 5(2), 74–93. 3. Shnier, A., Velempini, T., Falch, A., HardwareX , 2025, Accepted.
P75
© The Author(s), 2025
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog