Electrolysis of Direct Seawater: Challenges, Strategies, and Future Prospects^†

Abstract

The use of renewable sources such as solar, ocean, geothermal, and wind energy to drive water electrolysis reactions to obtain green and clean hydrogen fuels is one of the important paths to achieve sustainable energy development. At present, pretreatment, such as dilution, purification and dehydration, will increase the operating costs of most water electrolysis technologies. The development of direct seawater electrolytic process can effectively solve the above problems. Here, we review the latest progress of the catalysts electrode materials for the direct electrolysis process of seawater, and discuss how to design high activity and high‐selective electrode materials for the electrolysis of seawater with familiar impurities (such as chloride, metal ions and biological organisms) that can be applied in the future.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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“…The complex chemical environment of seawater can create fluctuations in the electrodes' pH, causing catalyst degradation. The small particles in the seawater also have the potential to poison the electrode/catalyst, limiting its long-term stability [67]. The presence of chloride in seawater is another problematic aspect of this process.…”