An overview and recent advances in electrocatalysts for direct seawater splitting

Wang, Haoyu; Weng, Chen‐Chen; Ren, Jin‐Tao; Yuan, Zhong‐Yong

doi:10.1007/s11705-021-2102-6

Cited by 53 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 101 publications

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“…There are various kinds of ions in natural seawater, and Cl − is the main impurity ion. In the process of seawater electrolysis, a high concentration of Cl − will lead to the generation of impurities, such as chlorine or hypochlorite on the anode, which will seriously affect electrolytic activity [ 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Bennett et al [ 45 ] discovered as early as 1980 that in the process of a cathodic HER with high current density, the anode will produce a large amount of chlorine to form a hypochlorite solution, which seriously affects the production efficiency of oxygen.…”

Section: Fundamentals Of Seawater Electrolysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Design Strategy of Corrosion-Resistant Electrodes for Seawater Electrolysis

Zhao

et al. 2023

Materials

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Electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen (H2) production has attracted more and more attention in the context of energy shortages. The use of scarce pure water resources, such as electrolyte, not only increases the cost but also makes application difficult on a large scale. Compared to pure water electrolysis, seawater electrolysis is more competitive in terms of both resource acquisition and economic benefits; however, the complex ionic environment in seawater also brings great challenges to seawater electrolysis technology. Specifically, chloride oxidation-related corrosion and the deposition of insoluble solids on the surface of electrodes during seawater electrolysis make a significant difference to electrocatalytic performance. In response to this issue, design strategies have been proposed to improve the stability of electrodes. Herein, basic principles of seawater electrolysis are first discussed. Then, the design strategy for corrosion-resistant electrodes for seawater electrolysis is recommended. Finally, a development direction for seawater electrolysis in the industrialization process is proposed.

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Section: Fundamentals Of Seawater Electrolysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Design Strategy of Corrosion-Resistant Electrodes for Seawater Electrolysis

Zhao

et al. 2023

Materials

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“…OER can be defined by Eqs. (1,2). ClER in acidic electrolyte and hypochlorite formation in alkaline environment occur as shown in Eqs.…”

Section: Fundamentals and Challenges Of Seawater Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Along with the global crisis over energy and environmental issues, the development of renewable and clean energy is highly required [1][2][3] . In this regard, carbon-free hydrogen with high energy density is considered as a promising energy carrier 4,5 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in Self-Supported Transition-Metal-Based Electrocatalysts for Seawater Oxidation

Qian¹,

Qingping²,

Shu³

et al. 2023

Acta Physico Chimica Sinica

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Seawater electrolysis is a promising and sustainable technology for green hydrogen production. However, some disadvantages include sluggish kinetics, competitive chlorine evolution reaction at the anode, chloride ion corrosion, and surface poisoning, which has led to a decline in activity and durability and low oxygen evolution reaction (OER) selectivity of the anodic electrodes. Benefiting from the lower interface resistance, larger active surface, and superior stability, the self-supported nanoarrays have emerged as advanced catalysts compared to conventional powder catalysts. Self-supported catalysts have more advantages than powder catalysts, particularly in practical large-scale hydrogen production applications requiring high current density. During electrolysis, due to the influx of bubbles generated on the electrode surface, the powdered nanomaterial is peeled off easily, resulting in reduced catalytic activity and even frequent replacement of the catalyst. In contrast, self-supported nanoarray possessing strong adhesion between the active species and the substrates ensures good electronic conductivity and high mechanical stability, which is conducive to long-term use and recycling. This minireview summarizes the recent progress of selfsupported transition-metal-based catalysts for seawater oxidation, including (oxy)hydroxides, nitrides, phosphides, and chalcogenides, emphasizing the strategies in response to the corrosion and competitive reactions to ensure high activity and selectivity in OER processes. In general, constructing three-dimensional porous nanostructures with high porosity and roughness can enlarge the surface areas to expose more active sites for oxygen evolution, which is an efficient strategy for improving mass transfer and catalytic efficiency. Furthermore, the Cl − barrier layer on the surface of catalyst, particularly that with both catalytic activity and protection, can effectively inhibit the competitive oxidation and corrosion of Cl − , thereby delivering enhanced catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability of the catalysts. Moreover, developing super hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces is a promising strategy to increase the permeability of electrolytes and avoid the accumulation of large amounts of bubbles on the surface of the self-supported electrodes, thus promoting the effective utilization of active sites. Finally, perspectives and suggestions for future research in OER catalysts for seawater electrolysis are provided. In particular, the medium for seawater electrolysis should be transferred from simulated saline water to natural seawater. Considering the challenges faced in natural seawater splitting, in addition to designing and synthesizing self-supported catalysts with high activities, selectivity, and stability, developing simple and low-cost natural seawater pretreatment

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“…Efforts to produce H 2 on a large scale have prioritized direct seawater electrolysis, assuming that the inexhaustible supply of water from the ocean is needed to provide enough water for future green hydrogen needs while avoiding competition with freshwater resources. − However, several recent studies have reported that the energy required for seawater purification is negligible (<0.1%) compared to the electrolysis energy consumption, − suggesting that coupling desalination with high-purity water electrolysis is much more favorable compared to technically challenging direct seawater electrolysis . These results imply that the energy and costs of water and wastewater treatment would be eclipsed by those of water electrolysis, mitigating the water-energy trade-off.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mining Nontraditional Water Sources for a Distributed Hydrogen Economy

Winter

Cooper

Lee

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Securing decarbonized economies for energy and commodities will require abundant and widely available green H 2 . Ubiquitous wastewaters and nontraditional water sources could potentially feed water electrolyzers to produce this green hydrogen without competing with drinking water sources. Herein, we show that the energy and costs of treating nontraditional water sources such as municipal wastewater, industrial and resource extraction wastewater, and seawater are negligible with respect to those for water electrolysis. We also illustrate that the potential hydrogen energy that could be mined from these sources is vast. Based on these findings, we evaluate the implications of small-scale, distributed water electrolysis using disperse nontraditional water sources. Techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis reveal that the significant contribution of H 2 transportation to costs and CO 2 emissions results in an optimal levelized cost of hydrogen at small- to moderate-scale water electrolyzer size. The implications of utilizing nontraditional water sources and decentralized or stranded renewable energy for distributed water electrolysis are highlighted for several hydrogen energy storage and chemical feedstock applications. Finally, we discuss challenges and opportunities for mining H 2 from nontraditional water sources to achieve resilient and sustainable economies for water and energy.

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An overview and recent advances in electrocatalysts for direct seawater splitting

Cited by 53 publications

References 101 publications

Design Strategy of Corrosion-Resistant Electrodes for Seawater Electrolysis

Design Strategy of Corrosion-Resistant Electrodes for Seawater Electrolysis

Recent Advances in Self-Supported Transition-Metal-Based Electrocatalysts for Seawater Oxidation

Mining Nontraditional Water Sources for a Distributed Hydrogen Economy

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