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Complementary Multisite Turnover Catalysis toward Superefficient Bifunctional Seawater Splitting at Ampere-Level
Liling Liao1, Dongyang Li1, Yan Zhang2
1Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China.
This study presents a novel Fe4N/Co3N/MoO2 catalyst for efficient seawater splitting, significantly reducing energy consumption for hydrogen production. The advanced catalyst demonstrates robust performance at high current densities, offering a sustainable energy solution.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production faces challenges with catalyst efficiency at high current densities, leading to high energy costs.
- Existing catalysts struggle to balance hydrogen and oxygen evolution activities, hindering large-scale application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robust bifunctional catalyst for efficient alkaline freshwater and seawater splitting at high current densities.
- To investigate the catalytic mechanisms and optimize the structure for enhanced water splitting performance.
Main Methods:
- In situ construction of Fe4N/Co3N/MoO2 heterostructure arrays on a nickel nitride surface.
- Utilizing operando Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for mechanistic studies.
- Employing density functional theory calculations to understand catalytic pathways.
Main Results:
- The Fe4N/Co3N/MoO2 catalyst demonstrated efficient bifunctional activity for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions.
- Achieved low cell voltages of 1.65 V (freshwater) and 1.69 V (seawater) at 1000 mA cm-2.
- Exhibited excellent long-term stability at current densities ranging from 500-1500 mA cm-2 for over 200 hours.
Conclusions:
- The developed heterostructure catalyst offers a viable approach for high-performance seawater electrolysis.
- This advancement significantly improves energy efficiency and stability for sustainable hydrogen production from seawater.
