Holistic View on Materials Development: Water Electrolysis as a Case Study

In view of rising ecological awareness, materials development is primarily aimed at improving the performance and efficiency of innovative and more elaborate materials. However, a materials performance figure of merit should include essential aspects of materials: environmental impact, economic constraints, technical feasibility, etc. Thus, we promote the inclusion of sustainability criteria already during the materials design process. With such a holistic design approach, new products may be more likely to meet the circular economy requirements than when traditional development strategies are pursued. Using catalysts for water electrolysis as an example, we present a modelling method based on experimental data to holistically evaluate processes.

Automated summary

With the increasing ecological awareness, materials development focuses on improving performance and efficiency, considering aspects such as environmental impact, economic constraints, and technical feasibility. Promoting the incorporation of sustainability criteria in the design process can lead to products meeting circular economy requirements more effectively. Holistic evaluation based on experimental data modeling, as demonstrated with catalysts for water electrolysis, can provide a comprehensive approach to assess processes.