Magnetic heating boosts water electrolysis

What happens when you take a water electrolysis cell, add some nickel-encapsulated iron carbide nanoparticles, and apply an alternative high-frequency magnetic field to the whole thing? The catalytic activity inside the unit is several times what you usually get! Researchers at LEPMI and INSA Toulouse recently completed proof-of-concept testing of the phenomenon. They hope that their breakthrough process could ultimately be used to build high-yield electrolyzers. Nickel, an inexpensive and abundantly available catalyst, would replace the platinum-based metals currently used.  The findings were published in Nature Energy. The research is ongoing under a French National Research Agency project, Hy-Whaly, which kicked off in early 2018. The advance will initially be developed for water electrolysis for the low-cost production of hydrogen for energy.

Contact: marian.chatenet@lepmi.grenoble-inp.fr

Learn more about Hy-Whaly: http://www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr/projet-anr/?tx_lwmsuivibilan_pi2%5BCODE%5D=ANR-17-CE05-0017

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