Investigation of the effect of copper phthalocyanine complex on stainless steel electrodes in hydrogen production from water by electrolysis

The energy source used today is mainly supplied from non-renewable fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. The reserves of these fossil-based energy resources in the world are gradually decreasing. The search for alternative energy sources in order to meet the energy supply that will be needed in the near future has accelerated after the oil crisis that started in 1970s. Research and development studies on energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, wave energy, which can provide alternative to renewable fossil fuels, have come a long way and are used in daily life. As in many developed countries, it is now possible to see wind and solar power plants in almost every region in our country. The hydrogen element is the smallest element in the atomic number of the periodic table and although it belongs to the group 1A in terms of electronic structure, it does not show metallic properties in terms of its physical properties and is naturally found in the form of gas. The hydrogen element reacts with oxygen under normal conditions and releases high energy, while unlike fossil fuels, it produces water that is not harmful to the environment as a reaction product. Since the hydrogen element is not to be free in nature alone, it cannot be regarded as an energy source. However, it can be obtained from the hydrogen element compounds in chemical ways and used as an energy source. Today, the hydrogen gas required by the industry is generally obtained from the treatment of fossil fuels with high temperature water in terms of economy. Since the production of hydrogen gas by electrolysis is more expensive than other methods, the rate of hydrogen production by electrolysis is relatively small, but it is used in the food industry because it is purer than the hydrogen obtained by other methods. Two different methods, acidic and basic, are used in the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen which are electrolytic components. A disadvantage is the use of expensive noble metals such as platinum and palladium in the acidic medium. In this study, the effects of copper phthalocyanine complex on electrolysis of water, which are expected to exhibit catalytic properties in oxidation of oxygen in acidic and basic environments as electrodes for 304 and 316 stainless steel, will be investigated.