Selectivity and competition between the anodic evolution of oxygen and chlorine

Vos, J.G. (2019)

Doctoral Thesis

Sustainable energy from wind and solar is most readily available near the sea. Seawater electrolysis would thus be a highly promising method for intermittently storing surplus electricity from these sources, in the form of hydrogen. Unfortunately, the direct use of seawater in electrolysers brings with it a selectivity problem, caused by the chloride salts in such water. Instead of forming oxygen at the anode, which is environmentally harmless and thus the desired product, the formation of toxic chlorine becomes possible in seawater, and this reaction has to be avoided. This thesis is focussed on how the anodic evolution of oxygen and chlorine compete, and how selectivity between these two reactions may be optimized for the benefit of seawater electrolysis, and electrocatalysis in general.

• Oxygen evolution reaction
• Chlorine evolution reaction
• Electrocatalysis
• Selectivity
• Rotating ring disk electrode
• Seawater electrolysis

• All authors: Vos, J.G.
• Supervisor: Koper, M.T.M.
• Co-supervisor: Mul, G.
• Committee: Overkleeft, H.S.; Groot, H.J.M. de; Krtil, P.; Cornell, A.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Science, Leiden
• Date: 2019-12-04
• ISBN (print): 9789463239578
• Sponsorship: NWO; Nouryon; Shell Global Solutions; Magneto Special Anodes (an Evoqua Brand); Elson Technologies