Self-Healing Electrodes: Is Seoul’s Breakthrough the Key to Affordable Green Hydrogen?

SEOUL, South Korea, June 5, 2025— Researchers from Seoul National University have recently unveiled a revolutionary nickel-based system that eliminates the need for expensive platinum catalysts and produces green hydrogen using self-repairing electrodes that have a lifespan exceeding 1,000 hours. Could this tech spark a clean energy revolution?

Nickel’s New Trick: Electrodes That Fix Themselves

Seoul’s electrochemical activation process helps nickel electrodes fix themselves by using small voltage pulses to reconnect dissolved iron, forming a very effective catalyst layer. The system ran for 1,000 hours at high current density (1 A/cm²), matching industrial standards.

“This can greatly improve the economics of green hydrogen,” says Professor Jeyong Yoon, study lead. The self-repairing tech ensures durability and cost savings for large-scale production.

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Scaling Up: From Lab to Mega-Plants

The team scaled their innovation with a three-stack electrolysis cell using 25 cm² electrodes, operating stably for hundreds of hours. This performance highlights the system’s potential for industrial hydrogen plants targeting carbon neutrality.

Unlike platinum-based systems, which degrade under heavy use, nickel electrodes leverage iron impurities in alkaline electrolytes to enhance efficiency. The technology aligns with South Korea’s $40 billion hydrogen economy ambitions.

Did you know?
South Korea’s hydrogen ambitions include powering 6.2 million fuel-cell vehicles by 2040, enough to circle the Earth 155 times if parked end-to-end!

Outpacing Platinum: A Cost-Cutting Revolution

Platinum, 30 times rarer than gold, drives up hydrogen production costs. Seoul’s nickel solution eliminates this bottleneck, using abundant materials without compromising performance.

The World Platinum Investment Council forecasts 300,000 ounces of platinum demand in South Korea by 2030 for electrolyzers, but nickel could render that obsolete.

“This has both theoretical insight and industrial relevance,” says co-leader Professor Jaeyune Ryu. The shift to nickel promises affordable green hydrogen globally.

The Road Ahead for Green Hydrogen

South Korea’s nickel-based breakthrough positions it as a clean energy leader, with researchers now optimizing the system for larger stacks and higher efficiencies. The technology’s open potential invites global collaboration to refine and deploy it, accelerating the shift from fossil fuels.

As industries eye hydrogen to meet net-zero goals, Seoul’s innovation offers a cost-effective path forward. Can this self-healing tech power a carbon-neutral future?