UNSW researchers partner with TotalEnergies and EPFL to improve hydrogen electrolyzer efficiency using 3D imaging

Type: Partnership · Technology: Hydrogen · Country: Australia · Announced: 2026-06-16

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) collaborated with French energy company TotalEnergies and Switzerland's EPFL to address a critical bottleneck in green hydrogen production using high-precision 3D imaging. The team discovered that trapped hydrogen bubbles within electrolyzer electrodes block reaction sites and limit efficiency at industrial scales, with findings published in Energy & Environmental Science. Their operando synchrotron imaging technique revealed how bubble formation directly correlates with electrode pore architecture, offering manufacturers a pathway to design more efficient systems. The research specifically identified that highly ordered, uniform pore structures minimize gas trapping, challenging previous assumptions that electrochemical factors alone determine performance. TotalEnergies and EPFL contributed to the study as part of broader efforts to advance green hydrogen technologies, with the findings expected to inform future electrolyzer design and deployment strategies.

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