The research team of Dr. Kim Byung-hyun and Cho Hyun-seok of KIER has developed a high-performance PEM water electrolysis catalyst with improved efficiency more than 10 times through joint research with Kyungpook National University (Professor Myung-jin Kim) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Professor Seung-woo Lee, USA).

PEM water electrolysis uses Proton Exchange Membrane (hydrogen ion exchange membrane) or Polymer Electrolyte Membrane. When electricity is applied, water molecules are decomposed and oxidized to oxygen and hydrogen ions, and the hydrogen ions pass through the PEM and move to the hydrogen electrode, meet electrons, and are reduced to hydrogen to generate hydrogen.

The study results were published in 'Applied Catalysis B-Environmental', a world-renowned journal in the environmental engineering area.