Pt–Cr Coated 3D-Printed Porous Transport Layers for Proton-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers Prepared by Electron Beam Evaporation

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) systems hold great potential for producing clean hydrogen through water electrolysis. The anode porous transport layer (PTL) is crucial to PEMWE performance; however, traditional manufacturing methods are both costly and complex. Additive manufacturing (AM), particularly selective laser melting (SLM), offers a promising alternative to enhance PTL efficiency. This study examines Cr-interlayered Pt-coated stainless-steel (SS) electrodes produced via AM, emphasizing their structural, surface, and electrochemical properties. The SS_CrPt-1.00 electrode achieved a high current density of 277.587 mA cm⁻² at 1.9 V, with a 50-fold increase in surface area to 3.1292 cm². Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis revealed a low charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 0.354 kΩ. At the same time, Tafel tests indicated a 96% reduction in the corrosion rate, resulting in a corrosion resistance of 406.011 mm year⁻¹. Additionally, single-cell PEMWE experiments have demonstrated that the 3D-printed PTL structures deliver promising performance comparable to that of commercial counterparts. These in-cell evaluations confirm the practicality and applicability of the developed architecture for real operating conditions. The integration of AM-enabled PTL geometries into PEMWE systems highlights a strong potential for advancing next-generation, efficient, and economically viable hydrogen production technologies.