Application: Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER).
Instrument: HPR-40 DEMS.
Cell: ECL-Static.
Configuration: Catalysts drop-cast directly onto the working electrode for operando hydrogen analysis.
Key Capabilities: Quantitative H₂ analysis, calibration, HER onset determination, reaction kinetics, operando DEMS.
Efficient hydrogen production depends on the development of catalysts that combine high activity with low cost. In this study, the Hiden HPR-40 DEMS coupled with the ECL-Static electrochemical cell was used to investigate hydrogen evolution from tungsten carbide-based catalysts modified with ionic liquids. Catalyst inks were drop-cast directly onto the working electrode, providing a simple and reproducible route from catalyst preparation to operando gas analysis without the need for specialised electrode fabrication.
Following calibration of the mass spectrometer, the HPR-40 provided quantitative measurement of hydrogen evolution throughout the electrochemical experiments. Direct measurement of hydrogen production enabled accurate determination of HER onset potentials, hydrogen evolution rates and catalyst kinetics, complementing conventional electrochemical measurements. The DEMS data showed that surface tungsten suboxide species significantly enhance catalyst performance by accelerating water activation and changing the rate-determining step from a Heyrovsky–Volmer mechanism to a faster Heyrovsky pathway.
This work demonstrates how the ECL-Static provides a straightforward platform for catalyst screening while the HPR-40 DEMS delivers quantitative gas analysis and mechanistic insight that cannot be obtained from current measurements alone.
Why read this paper?
It is an excellent example of using the ECL-Static and HPR-40 DEMS for quantitative evaluation of HER catalysts, combining simple catalyst preparation with real-time hydrogen analysis.
Paper Reference: Díaz-Coello, S., Winkler, D., Griesser, C., Moser, T., Rodríguez, J.L., Kunze-Liebhäuser, J., García, G. and Pastor, E. (2024). Highly Active W2C-Based Composites for the HER in Alkaline Solution: the Role of Surface Oxide Species. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(17), pp.21877–21884.
📖Read the paper here.
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