A Multi‐Bioinspired Dual‐Gradient Electrode for Microbubble Manipulation toward Controllable Water Splitting
Abstract
Clean energy generated from total water splitting is expected to be an affordable, sustainable, and reliable resource but it remains a challenge to gain pure fuel with a controllable pathway. Here, a simple and economical strategy that enables in situ separation of H 2 /O 2 product by manipulating the generated gas phases with the aid of multi‐bioinspired electrodes is proposed. This versatile electrode is based on a Janus asymmetric foam with dual gradients, i.e., the wettability gradient promotes the one‐way gas penetration and the geometry gradient boosts the spontaneous on‐surface transport in the horizontal direction, which cooperatively facilitates self‐driven 3D bubble transport in an aqueous environment. Benefitting from the 3D bionic electrode, the limited distance between the cathode and the anode can be reduced to 1 mm, and the corresponding current density is enhanced 1.5 times as compared with the common condition. This Janus triangular electrode with dual directionality elucidates 3D smart bubble manipulation during overall water splitting and should offer a great opportunity to develop advanced electrochemical processes toward complicated environments such as confined space and zero gravity.
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Introducing aerophobic/aerophilic patterned designs can further modulate bubble migration trajectories.
“Furthermore, introducing aerophobic/aerophilic patterned designs [176, 177] can further modulate bubble migration trajectories.”
From Advances in Surface/Interface Engineering of Under-Water Superaerophobic Electrodes for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by Manipulating of Bubbles (2026) · cites this paper as [177]
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- Authors
- Long, Z., Zhao, Y., Zhang, C., Zhang, Y., Yu, C., Wu, Y., Ma, J., Cao, M., & Jiang, L.
- Affiliations
- Harbin Institute of Technology (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Tianjin University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Ma, Jun
- Cao, Moyuan
- ORCID
- Venue
- Advanced Materials
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-03-04
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 17
- Pages
- e1908099-e1908099
- ISSN
- 0935-9648 (ISSN-L)
- 1521-4095
- OpenAlex
- W3009417872
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 4
- FWCI
- 3.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Advanced Materials (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (21805204)
- Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin City (19JCQNJC05100)
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment
- Harbin Institute of Technology (2019DX05)
- Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2018YFA0208502)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Surfaces, Coatings and Films › Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques
- Keywords
- water splitting, hydrogen production, oxygen evolution reaction, wettability gradient, gas penetration, current density enhancement, zero gravity
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