Water electrolysis under a magnetic field

The energy efficiency of water electrolysis was considerably improved under a high magnetic field. This was proved by measuring the cell voltage, the IR-drop, and the electrode potentials for the electrolysis which was galvanostatically operated in alkaline (4.46 and 0.36 M KOH) and acidic (0.05 M H2SO4) solutions. A large reduction in the cell voltage was achieved in a magnetic field, especially at a high current density. The decrease of the IR-drop, which was measured by the current interrupter method, depended on the concentration of electrolyte solutions. In a magnetic field, the oxygen overpotential was reduced more than the hydrogen overpotential. (c) 2007 The Electrochemical Society.