Rapid Laser Printing of High-Entropy Alloy Electrodes for Hydrogen Production
19 October 2026
Affiliation
NTU
Focus topic
Low-carbon H2 & Derivatives
Laser-printed alloy electrodes made in seconds
Summary
An electrode for water electrolysis carrying medium- or high-entropy alloy nanoparticles on a carbon substrate, produced by a rapid laser-assisted synthesis.
Achievements: nanoparticles of ~6-20 nm formed densely and uniformly on the substrate within seconds, with defects that enhance activity. Electrodes showed an oxygen evolution overpotential of 256 mV at 10 mA cm-2, lower than their crystalline counterparts, and hydrogen evolution overpotentials of ~20-30 mV. The best material outperformed reference catalysts including RuO2. Stability: cathodes held 10 mA cm-2 for over 50 h; a full cell using the same material as both electrodes held ~1.7 V for over 20 h; an anode held ~1.5 V for over 20 h. The method suits many alloy compositions and is described as easily scaled.
Carbon abatement: lower-cost, lower-precious-metal electrodes for green hydrogen from renewable electricity.
What makes this novel compared to best-in-class technology?
Conventional synthesis yields only bulk, irregular high-entropy alloys and cannot easily introduce performance-boosting defects. Laser printing forms uniform, defect-rich nanoparticles directly on the electrode in seconds, improving activity per unit of precious metal.
TRL Level
1-3
Relevant for
Electrolyzer electrode and catalyst manufacturers
PEM and alkaline electrolyzer OEMs
Fuel cell and metal-air battery developers
About
Inventors: Huang Yizhong, Lu Yu
Affiliation: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU), School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)
Contact NTU for licensing opportunities and more information.
Please quote ID ref [2023-248] in your email.