A research team from Seoul National University’s College of Engineering has unveiled a new approach to water electrolysis that could dramatically lower the cost and complexity of green hydrogen production. By eliminating the need for precious metal-based catalysts, this breakthrough marks a significant step toward realizing a scalable and economically viable hydrogen economy.
Published in Nature Communications on May 23, the study introduces an innovative electrolysis strategy called Electrochemical Activation (EA) operation, which enables the use of commercial nickel (Ni) electrodes—without any catalyst coating—while maintaining high efficiency and long-term performance. The project was led by Professors Jeyong Yoon and Jaeyune Ryu, in collaboration with Professor Jang Yong Lee of Konkuk University.
Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water using renewable electricity, is a cornerstone technology for achieving carbon neutrality and is one of South Korea’s 12 designated national strategic technologies. However, traditional water electrolysis systems depend on expensive, precisely manufactured catalyst layers to facilitate the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the most energy-intensive part of the process. These layers degrade over time, limiting system longevity and adding to costs.
The team’s EA operation method sidesteps this issue by using a technique called Dynamic Polarization Control. This process periodically applies a weak reducing voltage to the Ni electrode, prompting trace amounts of iron (Fe) in the alkaline electrolyte (KOH) to reattach to the electrode’s surface. The iron naturally bonds with nickel to form a self-generating, highly active catalyst layer—replicating the function of costly Ni-Fe oxyhydroxide (NiFeOOH) catalysts.
Over time, repeated cycles of this process create a self-healing electrode system that retains performance without degradation. The result is a streamlined method for sustainable hydrogen production that eliminates complex catalyst synthesis and expensive raw materials.
The new electrolysis method demonstrated stable operation for over 1,000 hours under high current density conditions (1 A/cm²). Additionally, a scaled-up version—a three-cell stack with 25 cm² active area per cell—ran for several hundred hours, confirming the system’s durability and reliability in practical, large-area applications.
This performance highlights the potential for industrial-scale implementation, offering strong reproducibility and reduced reliance on rare materials. By simplifying the production process and removing catalyst dependencies, the EA method improves the economic feasibility of green hydrogen, paving the way for broader adoption in energy infrastructure.
This innovation is not only a technological achievement but a strategic milestone for Korea’s push toward carbon neutrality. It supports both theoretical insights into electrochemical reactions and practical advancements in energy system design. The technology is expected to accelerate Korea’s transition to a hydrogen-based economy, bolstering competitiveness in global clean energy markets through future industrial applications and tech transfer.
With a proven ability to cut costs, increase durability, and support large-scale deployment, this catalyst-free electrolysis approach could play a vital role in reshaping how the world produces and scales green hydrogen.
By Impact Lab
