Bioethanol-Aided Electrolysis of H2O

This manuscript describes a novel electrochemical process for the electrochemical production of H2 using a solid oxide electrochemical cell. Part of the energy required for the process was supplied by ethanol, which was oxidized at the anode of a fully perovskite cell. In this experiment, we used a tailored cobaltite for the electrodes and a gallate-based perovskite electrolyte (La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-? - LSGM) as the supporting element of an electrolyte-supporting cell (ESC). The present manuscript presents preliminary results from tests concerning LSGM structural analysis to demonstrate its robustness to reducing atmospheres, electrochemical experiments carried out in a complete cell between 700 °C and 800 °C, and surface analysis of the electrodes. With current densities over 1 A cm-2 and voltages between 0.27 and 0.41 V, this electrochemical process demonstrates a viable method for producing green hydrogen.