Nature Chemistry reported Prof. Leroy Cronin group’s work at the University of Glasgow on successful realization of different stages of process of electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen through introduction of the concept of the electron-coupled-proton buffer (ECPB). Conventional water electrolysis produces H2 and O2 simultaneously, such that these gases must be generated in separate spaces to prevent their mixing. This technique could have advantages in preventing gas mixing in the headspaces of high-pressure electrolysis cells, with implications for safety and electrolyser degradation. Furthermore, they demonstrate that temporally separated O2 and H2 production allows greater flexibility regarding the membranes and electrodes that can be used in water-splitting cells.

Source: http://www.nature.com/nchem/journal/v5/n5/full/nchem.1621.html