High-Entropy Materials as cost-effective catalysts in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis for GREen hydrogEN production

Water electrolysis (WE) powered by renewable sources is the “greenest” way to produce H2, a promising energy vector that could help bring the World to net zero emissions in the coming decades. The proposal is focused on the development and engineering of novel nanostructured electrocatalysts for “green hydrogen” production via WE based on high-entropy materials (HEMs). Its ambition is the achievement of cost-effective efficient critical raw materials-free catalysts for the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions to be operated in an electrolyser that employs a polymeric anion exchange membrane (AEM) as electrolyte. Two solution-based scalable techniques, namely sol-gel and electrospinning, will be used for the production of HEMs in the form of nanoparticles and nanofibers. Their preparation conditions will be optimised in order to obtain HEMs for electrode preparation by ink spraying, with suitable properties to enhance the electrocatalytic performance and stability. HEM4GREEN project will explore the entire value chain including: i) investigation of new electrode materials; ii) fabrication of electrodes for AEM electrolyser; iii) their assembly to obtain 1 A/cm2 at 2V at 50°C and a single cell degradation rate below 5-7 µV/h at 1 A/cm2, corresponding to about 0.2-0.4 %/1000 h. The project is intended to start at TRL-2/3 and reach TRL-4 in 24 months, and its targets are coherent with the emerging strategic theme “Sustainability and protection of natural resources” related to the objectives of Clusters No. 5, Sub-Cluster No. 4, of the Research and Innovation European Framework Programme 2021-27, as well as with the 7th (Affordable and clean energy) and 13th (Climate action) goals for Sustainable Development of the U.N. 2030 Agenda. The consortium joins two research units from university (UNIRC-leader) and CNR (ITAE). Made up entirely of women, it is a strong testimony to women's engagement in science. Great attention will be devoted to the training of young researchers.