The need to scale up green hydrogen production has elevated the importance of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis, yet its reliance on scarce and costly platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts, particularly iridium and platinum, presents significant challenges.
This technical note presents an innovative solution developed by Smoltek and SparkNano, which combines carbon nanofiber (CNF) supports with SparkNano’s Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (S-ALD) technology. This approach reduces iridium loading to just 0.1 mg/cm²—40 times lower than conventional methods—while enhancing the catalyst’s stability and electrochemical performance. The integration of nanostructured CNFs increases the surface area at the electrode-ionomer interface, enabling more efficient catalyst usage, greater durability, and reduced degradation. Additionally, this scalable technology, coupled with advanced manufacturing techniques, has the potential to reduce hydrogen production costs by up to 30%, providing a cost-effective pathway for industrial-scale green hydrogen production. These advancements make a significant contribution toward the global adoption of hydrogen as a cornerstone of sustainable energy systems.
