Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Water Electrolysers based on heterojunction Catalyst Electrodes with Edge active site riched MoS2 and metal oxide composites

Project description

Transforming hydrogen production with metal oxide composites

Green hydrogen is essential for a clean energy future, yet its production currently relies on expensive, scarce noble metals such as platinum, which hinders large-scale commercial use. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the WeCee project aims to overcome this by developing affordable, high-performance catalyst electrodes using resource-rich, edge-defect molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). By combining MoS2 with metal oxides to create advanced heterojunction composites, the project will accelerate the slow chemical reactions typically observed in water electrolysers. This innovative approach seeks to significantly improve catalytic efficiency and durability. Ultimately, WeCee may provide a vital technological breakthrough, making sustainable green hydrogen production more cost-effective and globally accessible.

Objective

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysers (AEMWEs), with carriers including water, ammonia, etc., is an environmental friendliness technology for green hydrogen production. However, the slow reaction kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) still needs to be overcome, and the expensive, scarce and unstable catalyst materials, e.g. Pt, Ru, Ir noble metals, limit their extensive commercialisation. It is crucial to develop low-cost, highly catalytic active, and durable electrodes for AEMWEs with faster kinetics of HER. Therefore, WeCee intends to develop HER catalyst electrodes based on edge-defect MoS2 (MoS2-ED) heterojunction composites in-situ deposited on the surface of metal oxides (MOs) (MOs=TiO2, Co3O4, CeO2) for AEMWE applications. This research will use the resource rich and low-cost edge defect MoS2 as a carrier to construct a highly active and stable heterojunction composite with metal oxides (MOs) to reduce HER overpotential and improve catalytic efficiency in AEMWEs. Researcher Dr. Xu Tian will leverage her knowledge in materials science to collaborate with Prof. Shangfeng Du (supervisor) from the Centre for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research (CFCHR) at the University of Birmingham (UoB, host organisation). WeCee will provide a new strategy and technological innovation for the development of catalyst electrodes that are low-cost, highly active and durable for AEMWEs.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Net EU contribution
€ 276 187,92
Address
Edgbaston
B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom
Region
West Midlands (England) West Midlands Birmingham
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data