Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TM-LDH (2D TM-LDH (Layered double hydroxide) with low dimensions materials (MXene, graphene, and TMC) as flexible solid state and electrochemical supercapacitors and electrocatalyst.)
Période du rapport: 2023-11-01 au 2025-11-30
The TM-LDH project tackles one of today's most pressing global challenges: transitioning to clean, sustainable energy systems that can combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Hydrogen, when generated from renewable sources, is a critical enabler of the European Green Deal and the EU Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe. However, present hydrogen generation processes are significantly reliant on limited noble metals and freshwater supplies, posing cost and sustainability challenges. This effort was driven by the desire to create low-cost, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly electrocatalysts capable of effectively producing hydrogen utilizing plentiful saltwater as feedstock rather than freshwater. The study focused on two-dimensional layered double hydroxides (LDHs) that were combined with conductive nanomaterials including MXenes and graphene to create hybrid structures with high activity, enhanced charge transfer, and resistance to corrosion in salty conditions. The overarching goal of TM-LDH was to design, synthesize, and understand new noble-metal-free catalysts capable of driving both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in seawater electrolysis, as well as to investigate their potential use in flexible energy-storage devices such as solid-state supercapacitors. The project's goal was to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale materials research and real-world applications such as renewable hydrogen production and electrochemical energy storage. By improving knowledge of catalyst surfaces, electronic structures, and degradation mechanisms, TM-LDH helps the EU achieve its strategic goals of lowering dependency on crucial raw resources, increasing energy resilience, and encouraging circular, low-carbon technology. The projected benefit extends beyond the scientific community: scalable, corrosion-resistant catalysts for seawater electrolysis can drastically reduce hydrogen production costs while also enabling greener industrial operations.
Overall, the project lays the groundwork for a new generation of sustainable, high-performance materials that directly assist European climate and energy goals, while also encouraging scientific excellence and innovation in green technology.
Overall, the project lays the groundwork for a new generation of sustainable, high-performance materials that directly assist European climate and energy goals, while also encouraging scientific excellence and innovation in green technology.
The TM-LDH project's research focuses on generating and understanding novel two-dimensional layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials, as well as their integration with conductive nanostructures like MXene. The objective was to create efficient, corrosion-resistant, and noble-metal-free electrocatalysts that could drive water splitting processes in alkaline and saltwater conditions. The research began with the synthesis of a variety of transition-metal LDH materials incorporating cobalt, zinc, and chromium, followed by surface modification and compositional adjustment to improve electronic conductivity and catalytic activity. These materials were coupled with Mo2TiC2 MXene to generate CoZnCr@MXene heterostructures. This offered an interconnected network for quick electron transport and increased endurance under severe saltwater conditions. Advanced characterisation technologies such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to conduct thorough structural, chemical, and electrochemical studies. These results demonstrated the effective production of homogeneous, well-defined nanostructures with a large electrochemical surface area and robust interfacial bonding between the LDH and MXene components. The CoZnCr@MXene catalyst produced excellent results in both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline and seawater electrolytes. It obtained overpotentials of just 45 mV (HER) and 20 mV (OER) at 10 mA cm⁻² in alkaline medium, greatly surpassing commercial noble-metal standards such as Pt/C and RuO2. Importantly, the catalyst remained active and stable even in saturated NaCl solutions, exhibiting exceptional resistance to chloride-induced corrosion. The material was successfully incorporated into an anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer, achieving 500 mA cm⁻² at 1.72 V and an efficiency of 77.8%, exceeding industrial-scale alkaline seawater electrolysis objectives. The electrolyzer ran continuously for more than 16.8 days with no deterioration, demonstrating its long-term reliability under actual operating circumstances. The cost of hydrogen generation was predicted to be 0.86 USD per gallon of gasoline equivalent, which is significantly lower than worldwide objectives for renewable hydrogen. To supplement the experimental results, density functional theory (DFT) simulations were used to better understand the role of MXene inclusion at the atomic level. The calculations demonstrated improved charge transfer, optimized hydrogen adsorption energy, and decreased energy barriers for oxygen evolution, corroborating the reported high catalytic activity. Overall, the TM-LDH project made a substantial scientific contribution by proving a long-lasting, efficient, and scalable electrocatalyst for seawater-based hydrogen generation. It also provided new insights into interface engineering and electrical tuning in layered 2D materials. These findings provide the groundwork for the next generation of sustainable materials for green hydrogen production and electrochemical energy storage.
The TM-LDH project achieved scientific and technological advances that go beyond the current state of the art in electrocatalyst design for sustainable hydrogen production. Conventional water electrolysis depends on noble metals such as platinum, iridium, or ruthenium, which are expensive and prone to degradation, particularly in saline environments. This project demonstrated that earth-abundant transition metals can replace these critical materials without compromising efficiency or durability. A key outcome was the development of a CoZnCr@MXene heterostructure, a layered composite that merges the catalytic activity of transition-metal layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the conductivity and stability of MXenes. This interface-engineered catalyst achieved industrially relevant current densities at low voltages in alkaline seawater, maintaining long-term performance and corrosion resistance. Such results establish a new benchmark for noble-metal-free catalysts and show clear potential for large-scale, low-cost hydrogen generation from seawater. In addition to the experimental results, theoretical modeling using density functional theory provided a detailed understanding of the material’s behavior at the atomic level. The calculations confirmed that MXene incorporation enhances electronic conductivity, improves hydrogen adsorption, and lowers the energy barrier for oxygen evolution. These insights contribute to the scientific foundation for designing next-generation catalysts for renewable energy conversion. The project’s outcomes have implications that extend beyond academic research. They directly support European policy priorities under the Green Deal, the Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe, and the Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable clean energy and climate action. By enabling efficient hydrogen production from non-freshwater resources, the technology helps reduce dependence on critical raw materials and supports Europe’s transition to a low-carbon energy system. To ensure further uptake and impact, several next steps have been identified: scaling up catalyst synthesis for pilot-scale testing, establishing partnerships with industrial stakeholders in the renewable hydrogen sector, and pursuing additional funding for demonstration projects. Further efforts are also needed to align testing methods with international standards, explore intellectual property protection for synthesis routes, and strengthen collaboration with EU initiatives focused on hydrogen technologies.
Overall, TM-LDH delivered a durable and high-performance electrocatalyst that represents a significant step toward practical, sustainable hydrogen production. The results combine scientific innovation with clear potential for industrial application, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in clean-energy materials research.
Overall, TM-LDH delivered a durable and high-performance electrocatalyst that represents a significant step toward practical, sustainable hydrogen production. The results combine scientific innovation with clear potential for industrial application, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in clean-energy materials research.