Chloride‐Mediated Electron Buffering on Ni‐Fe Anodes for Ampere‐Level Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In water electrolysis, the long‐term stability of anodes is compromised by their degradation under oxidative conditions. This issue becomes more pronounced in seawater electrolysis, where the natural chloride ion (Cl − ) induces the chlorine evolution reaction (ClER) to produce corrosive byproducts. Herein, a series of small organic molecules (SOMs), featuring an aromatic carbon ring with para‐positioned carbonyl groups, are integrated with the conventional nickel‐iron (Ni‐Fe) based anode. This integration triggers a unique electron buffering effect to address anode degradation in natural seawater‐based electrolytes. It is found that preferential adsorption of Cl − onto SOMs prevents its direct interaction with metal active sites. Furthermore, SOM‐Cl serving as an electron buffering group significantly reduces the dissolution of Fe sites under the highly oxidative environment. As a result, the SOM‐Cl‐engineered anode enhances oxygen evolution activity by ≈1.7 times in seawater compared to pure water. In addition, the rationally designed anode works stably for over 200 h at a high current density of 1.3 A cm −2 in an alkaline seawater electrolyzer (ASE).
Source: Advanced Functional Materials
Institution: The University of Adelaide
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,790
Awards: Electrocatalytic Refinery for Fuels and Chemicals , ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, Production of C1/C2 Commodity-Chemicals via Efficient Electrocatalysis, Seawater Electrolysis for Hydrogen and Commodity Chemicals Production, Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells with Novel Perovskite-based Cathode
OpenAlex ID: W4409082470