Superaerophobic hydrogels for gas-evolving reactions

Abstract

The efficient formation and removal of gas bubbles are important for the practical application of water electrolysis for hydrogen production. However, less attention has been made to the latter whereas huge effort has been devoted to the former. A few researchers have attempted to impart bubble-repellent properties (so-called superhydrophobicity) to electrodes by controlling their microstructures. However, these approaches have many limitations, as they are material-specific and difficult to scale up. In addition, they are incompatible with photoelectrochemical water-splitting. To address these issues, we report a simple strategy for the realization of superoleophobic electrodes via the simple deposition of hydrogels on the desired electrode surface. We found that porous hydrogels can impart superoleophobic properties to the underlying electrode, thereby considerably enhancing the efficiency of water electrolysis by facilitating the elimination of gas bubbles from the electrode. This study can contribute to the practical application of various types of electrochemical gas-evolving reactions.