Intermittency Strikes Back: Variable Operation Accelerates Catalyst Transformations During Water Electrolysis

Raúl A. Márquez

Ph.D. Student, Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

Liquid alkaline water electrolysis (LAWE) is essential in current decarbonization efforts, requiring catalysts with high activity with stability. However, catalysts are vulnerable to the intermittent nature of renewable electricity necessary to power water electrolyzers. Understanding the reconstruction processes these materials undergo under variable operation is key to developing more robust technologies. In this talk, I will reveal the impact of intermittency and reverse currents on catalyst durability in LAWE. Through systematic in situ/operando characterization, I demonstrate that variable operation degrades catalytic films, accelerates corrosion, and induces interfacial pH swings. These findings offer critical insights for designing more resilient energy conversion technologies.

Bio

Raúl A. Márquez is a 5th-year PhD student in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the intersection of electrocatalysis, analytical chemistry, and electrochemical engineering, with a particular emphasis on understanding chemical transformations in energy storage and conversion technologies. Raúl serves as a member of the Materials Horizons Community Board of the Royal Society of Chemistry and as an international ambassador for Science Clubs Mexico. Some awards Raúl has received include the Energy Technology Division Graduate Student Award and the Edward G. Weston Summer Fellowship from the Electrochemical Society, as well as the Jeff Byers Memorial Graduate Award in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from UT Austin.