# Enhancing hydrogen production in alkaline electrolyzers by using an ultra-fast kinetics surfactant

Source: [Enhancing hydrogen production in alkaline electrolyzers by using an ultra-fast kinetics surfactant](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/6a6ada87ecc699bfe185af4b>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2026-07-31T05:00:01.456Z

Authors: D. Fern\\'andez-Mart\\'inez, G. Mart\\'in-Zazo, A. Rubio-Gonz\\'alez, J. L. Serrano-Marcos, J. M. Montanero, F. J. Perosanz, E. J. Vega

Published: 2026-07-29T10:43:35.000Z

## Abstract

We study the effect of surfactant adsorption kinetics on water electrolysis performance using Surfynol 465, an ultrafast-kinetics surfactant. High-speed optical diagnostics reveal that Surfynol 465 reduces bubble residence time by an order of magnitude. Compared to the slower surfactant Triton X-100 and the surfactant-free baseline, it also prevents the growth of large bubbles ($\>200\\ \\mu$m). We validated these results on an anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer (AEMEL) test bench. Adding Surfynol 465 to the $1\\text{ M KOH}$ electrolyte decreases cell overpotential by 140--150 mV. It nearly triples the current density (from 0.13 to 0.37 A/cm$^2$ at 2 V) and increases average power by 40\\% during a week-long test. Furthermore, downstream corrosion analyses reveal a strong alloy-dependent response. The surfactant reduces degradation in stainless steel and brass but accelerates corrosion in carbon steel.

## Recorded benchmark results

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## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.26750>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.26750.pdf>)