The electrode catalyst ink for a water electrolysis cell includes a catalyst including a layered double hydroxide, an organic polymer, and a solvent. The Hansen solubility parameter distance R.sub.a1 between the solvent and the catalyst is 15.0 MPa.sup.½ or more and less than 20.5 MPa.sup.½. The Hansen solubility parameter distance R.sub.a2 between the solvent and the organic polymer is 10.0 MPa.sup.½ or more and 14.0 MPa.sup.½ or less.

The electrode catalyst ink for a water electrolysis cell includes a catalyst including a layered double hydroxide, an organic polymer, and a solvent. The Hansen solubility parameter distance R.sub.a1 between the solvent and the catalyst is 15.0 MPa.sup.½ or more and less than 20.5 MPa.sup.½. The Hansen solubility parameter distance R.sub.a2 between the solvent and the organic polymer is 10.0 MPa.sup.½ or more and 14.0 MPa.sup.½ or less.

A method for controllably making catalysts with at least one metallic surface state, that includes: a) identifying all the topological insulators in the ICSD, b) calculating the Real Space Invariants of the valence bands for all these topological insulators in order to c) identify in all these topological insulators the Wyckoff Positions where the irreducible Wannier Charge Centers (WCCs) are localized, and then d) selecting as potentially catalytic active compound a topological insulator in which the position of WCCs is not occupied by any atom; e) synthesizing a crystal of the selected potentially catalytic active compound either so that it is grown in a predefined crystallographic direction (characterized by its Miller indices (h,k,l)) which exposes the metallic surface state; or cutting the crystal in a predefined crystallographic direction (characterized by its Miller indices (h,k,l)), so that the metallic surface state is exposed when

[00001]$\left(\left(\{\begin{array}{c}\left(h,k,l\right).Math.\left(x-X_j,y-Y_j,z-Z_j\right)=0,\\ \left(h,k,l\right).Math.\left(x-x_i,y-y_i,z-z_i\right)\ne 0,\\ h,k,lϵZ\end{array}\right)\right)$

The electrode catalyst ink includes a catalyst including a layered double hydroxide, an organic polymer, and a solvent. The solvent includes a first solvent, a second solvent, and a third solvent. The third solvent has a boiling point higher than a boiling point of the first solvent and higher than a boiling point of the second solvent. The Hansen solubility parameter distance R.sub.a1 [MPa.sup.1/2] between the third solvent and the catalyst and the Hansen solubility parameter distance R.sub.a2 [MPa.sup.1/2] between the third solvent and the organic polymer satisfy a relationship of 2.08R.sub.a1−16.0≤R.sub.a2≤2.08R.sub.a1−13.5.

An electrode catalyst for a water electrolysis cell includes a catalyst, and a polymer of intrinsic microporosity having a Tröger's base skeleton containing a quaternary ammonium group. A water electrolysis cell includes an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane is disposed between the anode and the cathode. At least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and the cathode includes the electrode catalyst.

A foam electrode comprising surface treatment by the steps of: 1) impregnating soft compressible polymeric foams with a conductive coating via sequential infiltration synthesis and 2) functionalizing the chemically altered voids with an ultrathin redox coating to enhance capacitive deionization (CDI). The redox coating will allow treated foam to absorb ions under the application of a bias, and mechanical compression/decompression. The CDI apparatus uses the void volume of the foam in the uncompressed state to flow liquids through it while the compressed state is used to enhance desalination by limiting the diffusion pathways for the ions to find an adsorption surface.

A foam electrode comprising surface treatment by the steps of: 1) impregnating soft compressible polymeric foams with a conductive coating via sequential infiltration synthesis and 2) functionalizing the chemically altered voids with an ultrathin redox coating to enhance capacitive deionization (CDI). The redox coating will allow treated foam to absorb ions under the application of a bias, and mechanical compression/decompression. The CDI apparatus uses the void volume of the foam in the uncompressed state to flow liquids through it while the compressed state is used to enhance desalination by limiting the diffusion pathways for the ions to find an adsorption surface.

A CoVO.sub.x composite electrode and method of making is described. The composite electrode comprises a substrate with an average 0.5-5 μm thick layer of CoVO.sub.x having pores with average diameters of 2-200 nm. The method of making the composite electrode involves contacting the substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent, a cobalt complex, and a vanadium complex. The CoVO.sub.x composite electrode is capable of being used in an electrochemical cell for water oxidation.

A CoVO.sub.x composite electrode and method of making is described. The composite electrode comprises a substrate with an average 0.5-5 μm thick layer of CoVO.sub.x having pores with average diameters of 2-200 nm. The method of making the composite electrode involves contacting the substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent, a cobalt complex, and a vanadium complex. The CoVO.sub.x composite electrode is capable of being used in an electrochemical cell for water oxidation.

The present invention discloses a membrane-less reactor design for microbial electrosynthesis of alcohols from carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). The membrane-less reactor design thus facilitates higher and efficient CO.sub.2 transformation to alcohols via single pot microbial electrosynthesis. The reactor design operates efficiently avoiding oxygen contact at working electrode without using membrane, in turn there is an increase in CO.sub.2 solubility and its bioavailability for subsequent CO.sub.2 conversion to alcohols at faster rate. The present invention further provides a process of operation of the reactor for biotransformation of the carbon dioxide.