{
  "abstract": "Gas bubbles impose large penalties in water electrolysis at industrially relevant rates. Capillary-fed electrolyzers greatly mitigate them by wicking electrolyte to electrodes and venting gas from the backside, but only below a threshold current density. We show that the separator pore size sets this threshold through two opposing effects: smaller pores raise the supersaturation required for nucleation but reduce the permeability for electrolyte replenishment. A coupled electrochemical-transport model, anchored to a single measured onset, quantifies both mechanisms across 0.1-8 $μ$m pores. Experimentally, reducing pore size from 8 to 1.2 $μ$m raises the bubble onset limit from 0.18 to 1.73 A cm$^{-2}$ and lowers cell voltage by 0.11 V at 1 A cm$^{-2}$, primarily by suppressing bubble-induced overpotential. At 0.45 $μ$m and below, the replenishment limit takes over and the cells dry out before bubbles form. Our findings establish the bubble-free operation limit as designable rather than purely empirical.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.03782",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Farkhondeh Khodabandeh"
    },
    {
      "name": "Zhengmao Lu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9wgn7yjk6x4v1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.03782",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "9wgn7yjk6x4v1",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.03782",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.soft"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.flu-dyn"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2105|Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220734440",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.03782",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9wgn7yjk6x4v1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:27:01Z",
      "native_id": "2610.03782",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.03782"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.soft",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.flu-dyn",
      "subfield": "fluid-dynamics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Predicting and extending the bubble-free operating limit of capillary-fed water electrolysis",
  "title_text": "Predicting and extending the bubble-free operating limit of capillary-fed water electrolysis",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:27:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9wgn7yjk6x4v1",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}