Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Electrochemical energy conversion reactions are central to sustainable energy technologies, yet their efficiency at industrially relevant current densities is often constrained by mass-transfer limitations. Here, we introduce a periodic flow field strategy for enhancing mass transfer based on a geometrically periodic microstructure that induces spatially varying velocity fields and wall shear oscillations within the pores, generating a coherent convective contribution to otherwise diffusion-dominated transport. To implement this concept, we design hierarchical ordered interconnected porous nickel electrodes with long-range order, tunable structural periods and scalable centimeter-scale fabrication, serving as a general electrocatalyst support. The resulting architecture alleviates mass-transfer constraints across multiple electrochemical reactions. As a representative example, the NiFe-modified electrode delivers a current density of 7 A cm−2 for the oxygen evolution reaction at 25 °C with an overpotential of 393 mV, while an anion-exchange-membrane water electrolyzer sustains 1 A cm−2 at 1.68 V for 1083 h at 60 °C. We also construct a lightweight flexible device for portable oxygen and hydrogen production with efficient operation under fluctuating solar power. Mass-transfer limitations hinder electrochemical energy conversion at industrial current densities. Here, the authors report a geometrically periodic porous electrode that enhances transport across several reactions and enables durable high-current water electrolysis.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Zenglong Wu, Haimin Zhang, Huajie Yin, Huijun Zhao
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Award: G2601395696
OpenAlex ID: W7204113526
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