Alkaline water electrolysis remains one of the leading and most mature technologies for large-scale hydrogen production. Its advantages stem from the use of inexpensive, earth-abundant materials and well-established industrial deployment, yet the technology continues to face challenges, including sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and energy-efficiency limitations compared with acidic electrolysis systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles governing alkaline electrolysis, encompassing electrolyte chemistry, electrode materials, electrochemical mechanisms, and the roles of overpotentials, cell resistances, and surface morphology in determining system performance. Key developments in catalytic materials are discussed, highlighting both noble-metal and non-noble-metal electrocatalysts, as well as advanced approaches to surface modification and nanostructuring designed to enhance catalytic activity and long-term stability. Particular emphasis is placed on the emerging strategy of in situ ionic activation, wherein transition-metal ions and oxyanions are introduced directly into the operating electrolyte. These species dynamically interact with electrode surfaces under polarization, inducing real-time surface reconstruction, improving water dissociation kinetics, tuning hydrogen adsorption energies, and extending electrode durability. Results derived from polarization measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and surface morphology analyses consistently demonstrate that ionic activators, such as Ni–Co–Mo systems, significantly increase the HER performance through substantial increase in surface roughness and increased intrinsic electrocatalytic activity through synergy of d-metals. By integrating both historical context and recent research findings, this review underscores the potential of ionic activation as a scalable and cost-effective way toward improving the efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis and accelerating progress toward sustainable, large-scale green hydrogen production.

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) with high thermal conductivity is one of the most promising substrate materials for the next-generation power devices. There are several ways to improve thermal conductivity of Si3N4. Substantially higher thermal conductivities for the Si3N4 ceramics could be attained by reduction of lattice oxygen content or by the increasing the ?/? phase ratio during nitridation thus enhancing grain growth during post-sintering. The method of purification of the grains and decreasing the two-grain junction films by adding large ?-Si3N4 grains to the raw Si3N4 powder, seeding by grain growth of Si3N4 crystals in polycrystalline ceramics also improves thermal conductivity. High thermal conductivity can be further achieved by development a textured micro-structure in which elongated ?-Si3N4 grains are oriented almost unidirectional. This paper summarizes the extrinsic factors governing the thermal conductivity of Si3N4 ceramic regarding micro-structural parameters such as lattice defects in single-crystal, sintering additives, change in microstructural parameters like ?/? ratio, grain size, aspect ratio, grain orientation and the morphology, composition of grain-boundary, secondary phases, processing method.

Green hydrogen produced by alkaline electrolysis is a promising solution to address the world’s increasing energy demand while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, the efficient and cost-effective production of green hydrogen via alkaline electrolysis requires improvements. This paper presents an in situ activation process that simplifies the alkaline electrolysis technology while enhancing the catalytic activity of electrodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The aim of this research is to enhance the energy efficiency of alkaline electrolysis and decrease the energy consumption for hydrogen production. To achieve this goal, ionic activators comprising Ni, Zn, and Mo were incorporated into the standard electrolyte solution. Our results demonstrate that the anticipated improvement in the catalytic activity of the d-metal combination, surpassing even that of precious metals, has been successfully attained. As a result, a 20% reduction in energy consumption (REC) for the hydrogen produced has been observed. The catalytic activity of the added activators for the hydrogen evolution reaction was discussed by analyzing the mechanism of the reaction via Tafel analysis and EIS techniques. These findings offer a promising approach to improve alkaline electrolysis and enhance the production of green hydrogen.

This study focuses on enhancing the efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis technology, a key process in green hydrogen production, by leveraging the synergy of magnetic fields and in situ electrode activation. Optimizing AWE efficiency is essential to meet increasing demands for sustainable energy solutions. In this research, nickel mesh electrodes were modified through the application of magnetic fields and the addition of hypo-hyper d-metal (cobalt complexes and molybdenum salt) to the electrolyte. These enhancements improve mass transfer, facilitate bubble detachment, and create a high-surface-area catalytic layer on the electrodes, all of which lead to improved hydrogen evolution rates. The integration of magnetic fields and in situ activation achieved over 35% energy savings, offering a cost-effective and scalable pathway for industrial green hydrogen production.

Mullite powders have been fabricated using diatomite powder as Si and Al-nitrate as Al precursors, without using any additives. Samples were calcined at three temperatures (1300, 1400 and 1500?C) for a period of 1, 2 and 4 h. The obtained powders were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD) PSA (Particle Size Analysis), FESEM (Field emission scanning electron microscopy) and EDXS (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy). Content of the crystalline phases with calcination temperature and dwell time was computed by X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD), using POWDER CELL software. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images confirmed that the rod shape morphology of mullite particles, with the diameters around 500 nm, and lengths, 5 ?m embedded in an amorphous matrix. XRPD of the sintered samples at 1300?C showed formation of thermally stabile phases (mullite, cristobalite and corundum) that makes the analyzed diatomaceous earth suitable for production of various types of construction and thermal insulating ceramic materials.