Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) systems hold great potential for producing clean hydrogen through water electrolysis. The anode porous transport layer (PTL) is crucial to PEMWE performance; however, traditional manufacturing methods are both costly and complex. Additive manufacturing (AM), particularly selective laser melting (SLM), offers a promising alternative to enhance PTL efficiency. This study examines Cr-interlayered Pt-coated stainless-steel (SS) electrodes produced via AM, emphasizing their structural, surface, and electrochemical properties. The SSCrPt-1. 00 electrode achieved a high current density of 277. 587 mA cm-2 at 1. 9 V, with a 50-fold increase in surface area to 3. 1292 cm2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis revealed a low charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 0. 354 kΩ. At the same time, Tafel tests indicated a 96% reduction in the corrosion rate, resulting in a corrosion resistance of 406. 011 mm year-1. Additionally, single-cell PEMWE experiments have demonstrated that the 3D-printed PTL structures deliver promising performance comparable to that of commercial counterparts. These in-cell evaluations confirm the practicality and applicability of the developed architecture for real operating conditions. The integration of AM-enabled PTL geometries into PEMWE systems highlights a strong potential for advancing next-generation, efficient, and economically viable hydrogen production technologies.
Kıstı et al. (Wed,) studied this question.