Application of Laser-Perforated Titanium Foils in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolysis

Ultrathin porous transport layers (PTL) were prepared by laser-perforation of titanium foils. The thickness of employed titanium foils ranged from 25 to 127 μm. In the laser-based process, porous transport layers with controlled and regular patterns were created. The process involved the ablative fabrication of surface structures along with through-plane holes ranging from 10 to 100 μm in size. The porous transport layers were designed with highly ordered patterns featuring micron-sized channels, which enhance their mass transport properties significantly. Laser-perforated titanium foils showed remarkable performance in polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis by lowering the cell resistance. The combination of laser-perforated titanium foil and standard PTL resulted in lower high-frequency resistance (HFR) compared to the standard PTL.