中国空间科学技术 ›› 2023, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (6): 83-90.doi: 10.16708/j.cnki.1000-758X.2023.0087

• 空间科学与试验专栏 • 上一篇    下一篇

基于仿生功能器件的地外水分解制氢技术

张策,杨金禄,尹钊,胡博韬,熊劲松,王兆龙,赵俊凯,姚伟   

  1. 1 中国空间技术研究院 钱学森空间技术实验室 北京100094
    2 北京空间飞行器总体设计部,北京100094
    3 湖南大学 低碳技术与装备交叉研究中心,长沙410082
    4 北京师范大学 化学学院,北京100875
  • 出版日期:2023-12-25 发布日期:2023-12-12

Extraterrestrial hydrogen production technology based on bionic functional water splitting devices

ZHANG Ce,YANG Jinlu,YIN Zhao,HU Botao,XIONG Jinsong,WANG Zhaolong,ZHAO Junkai,YAO Wei   

  1. 1 Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology,China Academy of Space Technology,Beijing 100094,China
    2 Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering,Beijing 100094,China 
    3 Interdisciplinary Research Center of Lowcarbon Technology and Equipment,Hunan University,Changsha 410082,China
    4 College of Chemistry,Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875,China
  • Published:2023-12-25 Online:2023-12-12

摘要: 针对地外空间水分解反应面临的低制氢效率和微重力环境适应性等关键科学技术问题,采用光合成创新方法优化水分解制氢催化反应和气液分离过程。为解决贵金属基催化剂高成本和难以加工微纳结构电极等问题,设计并制备了一种具有超薄二维网状结构的磷化钴/氢氧化钴(CoPOH)复合催化剂。该复合催化剂在电流密度为10mA/cm2的条件下过电势仅为12mV,Tafel斜率仅为61.2mV/dec,经过1000次循环伏安测试后过电势仅提高26mV。以上结果表明该复合催化剂能够有效提高产氢速率和能量转化效率,并具有良好的稳定性。此外,利用面投影微立体光刻(PμSL)3D打印技术,模仿水黾腿部的超疏水表面制备了一种具有微米结构的亲气疏水仿生Janus功能界面。该界面能够使不同种类气体沿与重力相反的方向快速穿过,平均时间仅为2.4ms。基于该界面优异的气液分离特性制备的水分解制氢功能器件,可克服传统制氢反应中气体扩散和多种产物混合带来的分离难题。在微重力环境下,由于氢气难以快速在电极表面脱附和输运,显著影响析氢反应效率;利用本研究制备的功能界面,气体能够沿重力方向快速穿透,为克服地外环境下多相反应界面上气体脱附与分离难题提供了有效的解决方法。通过制备具有优良催化性能的复合催化剂和适应微重力环境的仿生功能界面,研制了地外水分解制氢功能原理器件,不仅为地外原位资源利用提供了理论和试验基础,还为构建地外碳氢氧闭合物质系统中析氢反应装置设计提供了解决方案。

关键词: 功能器件, 电解水制氢, 催化剂, 微重力, 气泡, 气液分离界面

Abstract: Aiming at the scientific and technical issues of low hydrogen production efficiency and microgravity environmental adaptation faced by extraterrestrial water splitting,this study adopts an innovative approach of photosynthesis to optimize the hydrogen evolution reaction and gas-liquid separation process.To solve the problems of traditional noble metal-based catalysts,such as high cost and difficult to fabricate ideal micro- and nano- structured electrodes,an ultrathin two-dimensional mesh structure of cobalt phosphide/cobalt hydroxide(CoPOH)composite catalyst was designed and prepared.The overpotential of the composite catalyst was only 12mV and the Tafel slope was only 61.2mV/dec at a current density of 10mA/cm2,and the overpotential of the composite catalyst only increased 26mV after 1000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry testing,indicating that the composite catalyst can effectively improve the hydrogen production rate and energy conversion efficiency as well as outstanding stability.Furthermore,using the projection microstereolithography(PμSL)3D printing technique and mimicking the superhydrophobic surface of the legs of water striders,a kind of Janus functional interface was successfully prepared.The interface enabled different kinds of gases to pass quickly in the opposite direction to gravity,and the time for a bubble to pass through the membrane was about 2.4ms.Based on the excellent gas-liquid separation characteristics of this interface,a functional device for hydrogen production from water splitting was designed to overcome the problems caused by gas diffusion and mixing of multiple products in the traditional hydrogen production processes.In the microgravity environment,hydrogen is difficult to desorb and transport quickly on the electrode surface,which significantly affects the reaction efficiency.The functional interface prepared in this study allows the gas to penetrate rapidly in the direction of gravity,providing an effective solution to overcome the challenges of gas desorption and separation on the interface of multi-phase reaction in the extraterrestrial environment.This study developed a functional device for extraterrestrial hydrogen production by preparing a composite catalyst with excellent catalytic performance and a biomimetic functional interface adapted to the microgravity environment.It not only suggests theoretical and experimental basis for the utilization of extraterrestrial in-situ resources,but also supports a solution for the design of hydrogen evolution reaction device in the construction of extraterrestrial carbon-hydrogen-oxygen closed material system.

Key words: hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, catalyst, microgravity, bubbles, gas-liquid separation interface