Applied Electrochemistry and Catalysis (ELCAT)

General expertise of the research group

The core research activities within ELCAT are related to the development of state-of-the art electrochemical reactors and its components, with a view towards large-scale industrial development in the field of industrial electrification, in a green and sustainable way to ultimately replace the traditional chemical processes. The scope there is to improve controllability, flexibility and energy efficiency of the reactions through electrocatalyst and reactor design. This research can thus be subdivided in three main topics, which are interrelated: (i) electrocatalysis, (ii) electrosynthesis and (iii) electrochemical reactor engineering. From those research topics, two major aspects of the identity as a group clearly come to the surface: (1) industrial application and (2) sustainable chemistry.

Specific hydrogen-related expertise & research topics

• (Photo-)electrochemical production of hydrogen with a focus on component and reactor development under industrially relevant operating conditions for all low temperature electrolysis technologies (Alkaline, AEM, PEM)
• Catalyst development and reactor engineering for hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution, with a focus on novel 3D electrodes to improve reactor hydrodynamics (e.g. Bubble management, mass transfer, etc.)
• Various strategic collaboration with industrial partners (Agfa, Engie, etc.) in the field of alkaline, AEM and PEM electrolysis
• Electrochemical production of formic acid and other CO2-derived chemicals as potential hydrogen carriers, utilizing renewable energy

Available equipment/tools

• A wide range of electrosynthesis set-ups going from batch cells to flow-cells in combination with advanced potentiostats, including boosters required for achieving higher currents
• Electrocatalyst synthesis equipment for wet chemical and electrodeposited catalyst manufacturing: atmosphere-controlled oven, elevated temperature and cryogenic synthesis cells, spray coating, rotavap, hydrostatic pressure vessels, TGA, etc
• Analytical equipment, including (in-line) GC, HPLC, LC-MS, ICP-MS, DEMS, UV-VIS, etc. to determine the reaction performance and product outcome
• Necessary pumps and sensors (e.g. pressure, flow, pH) and other peripherals to monitor all operating conditions
• An explosion-safe oven to allow operation at elevated temperatures and pressures
• Additionally, ELCAT possesses the required equipment to develop optimized electrolyzers at different scales (from 1 cm² to 200 cm²); it can count on its own CNCs, high-end 3D metal and polymer printers, an accurate 3D laser micromachining setup, a sputter coater and an automated spray coater (up to 1 m² active area).

International collaborations

ELCAT is part of the Center of Excellence on Catalysis at UAntwerp. Additionally, T. Breugelmans is part of the group of experts determining the course of the Capture pipeline with respect to CO2 conversion. On an international level, ELCAT has close collaborations with ElectroCat in Slovenia, ICMM-CSIC in Spain,
Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, TU Delft and TNO in the Netherlands, Fritz Haber Institute in Germany, National Laboratories, etc.

Participating in FL/B/EU funded projects with H2 related research

• VLAIO O&O with Agfa
  • Topic: ELECZIR: Enhancing Electrolyzer and Zirfon separators for alkaline electrolysis
  • Funding source: VLAIO
  • Main partner: Agfa
• FWO-WEAVE proposal
  • Topic: Understanding the role of dopants as a key step towards efficient oxygen evolution catalysts
  • Funding source: FWO-WEAVE
  • Main partners: National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia
• FWO- PhD Fellowship strategic basic research
  • Topic: Optimisation of Bubble Removal in Alkaline Water Electrolysers at Industrial Current Densities
  • Funding source: FWO
  • Main partners: /
• Threading-CO2
  • Topic: Develop CO2 to CO electrolyzers at pilot and demonstration scale
  • Funding source: Horizon Europe
  • Main partners: Fairbrics, Deutsche institute fur textile- und faserforschung denkendorf, etc
• SYN-CAT
  • Develop electrocatalysts and photo-electrocatalytic reactor for the conversion of CO2 to methanol
  • Funding: VLAIO-MOT
  • Main partners: UHasselt, Imec, UGent, VUB
• CLUE
  • Topic: Develop electrocatalytic reactor for the conversion of CO2 into ethylene at larger scale and directly from flue gases
  • Funding source VLAIO-MOT
  • Main partners: KU Leuven, VITO
• EFFORT
  • Topic: Development of GDE-MEA for CO2-electrolysis with low anolyte contribution
  • Funding source VLAIO-MOT
  • Main partners: KU Leuven, Imec
• BE-HyFE
  • Topic: Catalyst and reactor engineering for PEC water splitting
  • Funding source: (ETF) FPS Economy
  • Main partners: Uantwerpen, UGent, KU Leuven, UCLouvain, VUB, ULB, UMons, UHasselt, ULiège, imec, vito, vki, WaterstofNet

Main relevant publications

1. Geboes B., Mintsouli I., Wouters B., Georgieva J., Kakaroglou A., Sotiropoulos S., Valova E., Armyanov S., Hubin A., Breugelmans T., Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2014, 150-151, 249.
2. Sanchez Gutierrez O., Birdja Y., Bulut M., Vaes J., Breugelmans T., Pant D., Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2019, 16, 47-56.
3. Daems N., Choukroun D., Merino P., Rettenmaier C., Pacquets L., Bergmann A., Santoro G., Vazquez L., Martinez L. Roldan Cuenya B., Martin Gago J.A., Breugelmans T., ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2022, 14, 2691.
4. D. Choukroun, N. Daems, T. Kenis, T. Van Everbroeck, J. Hereijgers, T. Altantzis, S. Bals, P. Cool, T. Breugelmans, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2020, 124, 1369.
5. De Mot B., Hereijgers J., Duarte M., Breugelmans T.¸ Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 378, 122224-122232.
6. De Mot B., Ramdin M., Hereijgers J., Vlugt T., Breugelmans T., ChemElectroChem, 2020, 7, 3839.
7. Duarte M., De Mot B., Hereijgers J., Breugelmans T., ChemElectroChem, 2019, 6, 5596.
8. Van Daele K., De Mot B., Pupo M., Daems N., Deepak P., Kortlever R., Breugelmans T., ACS Energy Letters, 2021, 6, 4317