Flexible porous carbon fiber composite electrodes for hydrogen and chlorine production with antibacterial applications†

Flexible porous carbon fiber composite electrodes (Pt@C–PES cathode/RuO₂@C–PES anode) for hydrogen and chlorine evolution reactions (HER/CER) in acidic NaCl electrolyte (1 M HCl + 5 M NaCl) were developed in this work. Functionalized with Pt and RuO₂via electrodeposition and drop-coating, the electrodes demonstrated low overpotentials of 71 mV@25 mA cm⁻² (HER) and 77 mV@25 mA cm⁻² (CER). When applied in a two-electrode H-cell system, faradaic efficiencies of 99.14% (HER) and 98% (CER) were achieved at a current density of 25 mA cm⁻², while 30 mL of iodine solution (66.25 mmol L⁻¹) was obtained within 5 hours for extensive sterilization (5 types of bacteria). As antibacterial electrodes, in situ generated active chlorine enabled 100% inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus within 30 minutes. The porous structure, good hydrophilicity and mechanical flexibility of the electrodes enhanced electrolyte penetration, catalytic activity and wearability. This study provides a high-performance flexible electrode for acidic NaCl electrolysis, reducing energy consumption while broadening applications in hydrogen/chlorine production and antibacterial applications.