Durable Seawater Electrolysis Enabled by Spherical Electrostatic Repulsion and Catalyst-Support Interaction

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production is key for net-zero emissions.
• Chloride ions in seawater hinder oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and corrode catalysts.
• Limited research exists on using catalyst geometry for chloride ion repulsion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a catalyst with enhanced durability and activity for seawater electrolysis.
• To investigate the role of electrostatic shielding and catalyst-support interaction (CSI) in improving performance.
• To demonstrate a long-lasting electrolyzer system for efficient hydrogen production.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a sphere-like catalyst with a heterojunction of carbonate-intercalated nickel-iron layered double hydroxides on malachite microspheres (MM).
• Investigated the electrostatic shielding effect of carbonate anions and CSI on catalyst performance.
• Assembled and tested an electrolyzer using the developed catalyst for long-term seawater electrolysis.

Main Results:

• The sphere-like catalyst exhibited enhanced catalytic durability and activity.
• The spherical electrostatic field effectively protected the catalyst from chloride ions.
• The catalyst-support interaction tuned the electronic structure of active sites, boosting OER.
• The assembled electrolyzer showed over 1000 hours of durability at 1.83 V and 1 A/cm².

Conclusions:

• The designed spherical geometry with electrostatic protection offers a promising strategy for optimizing catalysts in seawater electrolysis.
• This approach enhances catalyst durability and activity, paving the way for efficient green hydrogen production.
• The study provides valuable insights for developing robust electrocatalysts for challenging electrochemical applications.