A team of Sydney chemists has developed a low-cost, open-source experimental kit that allows STEM teachers and students to explore advanced electrochemistry research in the classroom for as little as $2 in materials.
Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation and the University of Sydney have designed a 3D-printed gas-diffusion electrode and membrane-electrode assembly reactor platform known as “open-GDE” or bayadjamara — a Gadigal word meaning “air maker”.
The technology enables students to build and test their own electrochemical systems using accessible 3D-printing methods and open-source design files.
Gas-diffusion electrodes are experimental systems that use electricity and catalysts to drive chemical reactions involving gases. Applications include splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, as well as generating electricity in fuel cells.
The researchers say the new platform offers schools a more hands-on alternative to standard fuel-cell classroom kits, allowing students not only to observe electrolysis outcomes but also to investigate how electrocatalytic systems function in practice.
Dr Christopher Barnett, from the University of Sydney School of Chemistry and a Research Fellow with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, said the project was designed to make advanced scientific research more accessible.
“The open-GDE/bayadjamara platform enables anyone with a 3D printer to make the reactor for about two dollars,” Dr Barnett said.
“We provide the design files and detailed instructions on how to modify and print the reactor platform, suitable for even a relatively novice operator.”
Dr Barnett said the team believed it was the first fully open-source 3D-printed reactor platform of its kind.
“To our knowledge, this is the first reported 3D-printed reactor platform that provides all source files,” he said.
The researchers say the platform could help secondary and tertiary students connect classroom learning with major global challenges, including climate change, energy sustainability and food security.
The system has been developed so that no prior electrochemistry or 3D-printing experience is required, broadening its potential use across schools and universities.
The research has been published in the Australian Journal of Chemistry.
Teachers, researchers and schools interested in trialling the technology can also contact the research team to organise exploratory kits supplied at cost.
For more information, go to https://github.com/cdb-usyd/openGDE
