The impact of sodium lauryl sulfate on hydrogen evolution reaction in water electrolysis.

This study confirms the sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) surfactant is effective to enhance water electrolysis performance especially when combined with NaCl. The water electrolysis experiment on different concentrations of SLS and SLS-NaCl mixture electrolyte were performed. The results indicate the presence of NaCl is more effective to enhance the SLS containing electrolyte performance instead of adding more SLS concentration. More SLS concentration is effective to enhance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) when NaCl is added. The effectiveness of NaCl is shown by the order of final HER SLS 0.5 M + NaCl 3.9212 × 10−7 Mol. L−1, SLS 0.3 M + NaCl 3.8789 × 10−7 Mol. L−1, and, SLS 0.5 M 3.6758 × 10−7 Mol. L−1. The SLS creates positively charged micelles which increases ion mobility and HER. The NaCl accelerates the HER due to the formation of smaller ion clusters that react more quickly with the cathode. Therefore, this study reveals the mechanism of electrolysis enhancement by surfactant mixed electrolyte. [Display omitted] • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) forms positively charged micelles. • SLS enhances hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by carry water to cathode. • NaCl ion clusters improves SLS effectiveness to improve HER. • Na ion cluster has better electrostatic response towards cathode. • Cooperation of NaCl and SLS improves overall efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]