Researchers from KAIST and other Korean institutions have developed a new catalyst layer for water electrolysis that prevents gas bubbles from blocking production pathways. By using 2D mesoporous carbon nanosheets, the team created a structure that allows water and gas to move more freely, significantly increasing hydrogen output. The new method achieved a current density of 17.1 A cm⁻² at 80°C, surpassing U.S. Department of Energy targets for 2026. The process also uses a much smaller amount of ruthenium, a costly noble metal, which could lower the overall cost of industrial green hydrogen production.
