Professor Marc Pera-Titus, Cardiff University

Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships 2024-25

Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using renewable electricity, dramatically reducing CO₂ emissions compared to grey hydrogen, which is derived from fossil fuels without carbon capture. Green hydrogen has a significant role to play in decarbonising energy systems, particularly where direct use of electricity aims to replace fossil fuels, such as in the heavy industries (for example, steel, cement, glass), ammonia production, transport (for example, shipping, aviation, heavy goods vehicles), and long-term energy grid storage.

Commercial electrolysers to produce green hydrogen suffer from gas nanobubbles that are strongly adsorbed on electrodes. These then hamper mass transfer and increase the overpotential, resulting in low energy conversion efficiency (less than 70%) and poor durability (less than 2,500 hours for stainless steel electrodes). This research programme will develop a technological solution to detach nanobubbles from electrodes by implementing surface-active, water-dispersible particles, thus enhancing electron transfer and electrode stability.

The surface-active particles developed in this programme will rely on oleophobic organosilicas and carbons incorporating catalytic metal nanoparticles able to adsorb at the gas–liquid interface, with defined sizes and hydrophilic–lipophilic balance. Professor Pera-Titus and his team will study their effect on H₂ and O₂ evolution reactions in H-cells by generation of particle stabilised liquid foams and gas plastrons (thin gas films adsorbed on oleophobic particles) and rationalise the plastron/foam–electrode interaction with electrodes to enhance electron transfer. With these results, they will implement the particles in alkaline, membrane-less electrolyser prototypes from Hydrostar (1 kW) using fresh and contaminated waters. Finally, they will create an exploitation plan for the best surface-active particles for upscaling and commercialisation of the new electrolysers.

As key outcomes, this project will deliver an electrolyser (1 kW power) with an overall efficiency greater than 95% with a 25% reduction of full manufacturing cost for H₂ production ($3(USD) per kilo H₂).

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