Additive manufacturing 3D customizable low-cost superwetting polyacrylate-based hierarchically micro-nanoporous lattice anode for energy-saving large-current-density water splitting application

In this paper, varieties of 3D polyacrylate (PA)-based electrodes were precisely built by digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology combining special induced chemical co-deposition surface processing method. This novel electrode fabrication technology exhibits the features of low-cost, no template requirement, customizable freedom design and controllable hierarchically micro-nanoporous architecture characteristics. The studies show that unique 3D geometry structure design will facilitate the enhancement of the electrochemical active surface area, wetting properties and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis performance for PA-based lattice electrodes. The as-prepared superwetting thiourea dioxide (TDO) type PA-based body-centred cubic with circular struts (BCCCS) lattice (1.0 mm) electrode as water splitting anode drives 1000 mA/cm2 large-current-density at 1.55V (vs Reversible Hydrogen Electrode (RHE)) potential, which is 280 mV lower than the potential of the commercial Ni foam-based anode. This result shows obvious energy-saving advantage in industrial water splitting application area. Notably, the PA-based BCCCS lattice (1.0 mm) anode can stably drive 1000 mA/cm2 current density for at least 10 h in alkali electrolyte and obtains up to 100% anode faraday efficiency. This work provides new idea for high performance energy-saving electrodes and expands the application scope of additive manufacturing technology.