Selective Anion-Gating Interlayer Enables Chloride-Resistant and Long-Life Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis

Abstract

Hydrogen production through seawater electrolysis represents a promising route for sustainable energy conversion. Nevertheless, its practical implementation is impeded by severe chloride-induced corrosion and the competing chlorine evolution reaction (CER), both of which predominantly affect the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and consequently deteriorate the overall efficiency and long-term operational stability of the seawater electrolysis system for sustained hydrogen generation. To address these issues, this study introduces a Ni₃N selective anion-gating interlayer (SAGI) on a nickel foam substrate. This SAGI increases the electron density at the catalyst surface, effectively repelling Cl⁻ ions from the nickel foam skeleton while allowing OH⁻ ions to access the NiFeAl-LDH catalytic surface. As a result, the electrolyzer requires only 1.92 and 2.12 V to achieve current densities of 400 and 1000 mA cm⁻², respectively. Moreover, the electrode demonstrates excellent durability, showing only a 5.8% and 13.6% increase in cell voltage after 500 h of continuous operation at 400 mA cm⁻² in simulated and real alkaline seawater, respectively. This strategy is broadly applicable, extending the operational lifespan of various seawater electrolysis catalysts by 2–10 times, offering a promising approach to developing corrosion-resistant, high-performance electrocatalysts for direct seawater splitting.

Keywords

alkaline seawater electrolysis / electrocatalysts stability / electrochemical selectivity / electrode corrosion / selective anion-gating interlayer

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