In the rapidly evolving landscape of green energy, innovation is key to ensuring the sustainability of our planet. As part of our ongoing commitment to pioneering advancements in hydrogen production, our Chief Technology Officer, Paul Poodt, was honored to present his insights at the recent 244th ECS Meeting. Although the event has concluded, we are thrilled to share some insights shaping the future of hydrogen production.
PEMWE is a widely used technique for producing green hydrogen from water, and the demand for this sustainable energy source is on the rise. To meet this demand, state-of-the-art PEM electrolyzers rely on iridium-based electrocatalyst layers. However, the cost and limited availability of iridium pose scalability challenges.
Paul Poodt’s presentation focused on the application of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) to reduce the iridium loading in electrocatalyst layers. By using ALD to apply thin and highly conformal IrO2 films on porous substrates, the amount of material deposited can be controlled with atomic precision. Recent breakthroughs in this technology have allowed iridium loadings to be reduced to levels well below 0.1 mg/cm2, as reported by TNO[1].
During his presentation, Paul discussed the use of plasma-enhanced Spatial ALD to deposit iridium oxide and metallic iridium films. These films were created using a new iridium precursor developed by Air Liquide Advanced Materials. The electrocatalytic efficiency and stability of these films were characterized using Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) tests, revealing exceptional catalytic activity and stability. Moreover, the conformal deposition of IrO2 films on high-surface-area titanium porous transport layers (PTLs) and Nafion membranes demonstrated their potential in full PEM stack applications. Spatial ALD technology holds the promise of reducing iridium loads by 10-100 times compared to the current state of the art, all while maintaining excellent stability during accelerated stress tests.
Additionally, Paul addressed the upscaling of Spatial ALD of IrO2 films for mass production. The focus was on improving efficiency, optimizing precursor utilization, and exploring possibilities for precursor recovery and recycling.
As we move forward in the pursuit of sustainable hydrogen production, this presentation highlights the significant strides being made in reducing costs and environmental impact, opening the door to a more efficient and environmentally friendly energy future.
[1]: TNO Breakthrough in Electrolyser Development
Stay tuned for more updates and insights as we continue our journey towards a cleaner, greener world.
About the ECS Meeting
The 244th ECS Meeting brings together the most active researchers in academia, government, and industry—professionals and students—to engage, discuss, and innovate in the areas of electrochemistry and solid state science and related technologies. This is the premier destination for industry professionals to experience five days of learning, technical presentations, business development, and networking opportunities.
About the Presenter
Paul Poodt, a background in the development of new processes and equipment for thin film deposition, focussing mainly on Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition for large-area and flexible electronics, CTO (SparkNano) and Associate Professor (Eindhoven University of Technology). Learn more about SparkNano’s unique and patented technology, Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition.
About SparkNano
SparkNano develops and supplies Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition equipment for energy, OLED and related applications. SparkNano was first founded in 2018 as a spin-off of TNO (the Netherlands Organization of Applied Scientific Research). The company’s products enable its customers to seamlessly scale from lab-to-fab. Next to the high-quality equipment, an experienced team also supports in process development and optimization, provides application support and yield & and performance management. SparkNano is located in the Brainport ecosystem in Eindhoven.
Chief Technology Officer
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