Next-generation plasma-sprayed electrodes for water electrolysis and beyond: Recent advances and future directions

Abstract

Conventional industrial alkaline water electrolysis electrodes made using plasma spray deposition are unable to produce and sustain the demanding performance requirements needed to achieve economic targets. State-of-the-art lab-scale alkaline electrolysis configurations can achieve these higher performances; however, given their complex electrode architecture and production methods, often suffer from practical limitations regarding scale-up. Proven and trusted by industry, plasma spraying offers a pragmatic and cost-effective method for fabricating these next-generation electrodes at scale. This review explores the most recent advances in plasma-sprayed electrode development, covering its use to form both the active catalyst layer and the porous transport layer. We also highlight how these findings can be transferred to benefit the development of other industrial process electrodes. This review aims to provide pathways for future research, showing how novel lab-scale electrodes can be replicated at scale, with the latest in plasma-spray technology.