In situ ammonium formation mediates efficient hydrogen production from natural seawater splitting

Xiao-Long Zhang, Peng-Cheng Yu, Shu-Ping Sun, Lei Shi, Peng-Peng Yang, Zhi-Zheng Wu, Li-Ping Chi, Ya-Rong Zheng () and Min-Rui Gao ()
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Xiao-Long Zhang: University of Science and Technology of China
Peng-Cheng Yu: University of Science and Technology of China
Shu-Ping Sun: University of Science and Technology of China
Lei Shi: University of Science and Technology of China
Peng-Peng Yang: University of Science and Technology of China
Zhi-Zheng Wu: University of Science and Technology of China
Li-Ping Chi: University of Science and Technology of China
Ya-Rong Zheng: Hefei University of Technology
Min-Rui Gao: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Seawater electrolysis using renewable electricity offers an attractive route to sustainable hydrogen production, but the sluggish electrode kinetics and poor durability are two major challenges. We report a molybdenum nitride (Mo2N) catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction with activity comparable to commercial platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst in natural seawater. The catalyst operates more than 1000 hours of continuous testing at 100 mA cm−2 without degradation, whereas massive precipitate (mainly magnesium hydroxide) forms on the Pt/C counterpart after 36 hours of operation at 10 mA cm−2. Our investigation reveals that ammonium groups generate in situ at the catalyst surface, which not only improve the connectivity of hydrogen-bond networks but also suppress the local pH increase, enabling the enhanced performances. Moreover, a zero-gap membrane flow electrolyser assembled by this catalyst exhibits a current density of 1 A cm−2 at 1.87 V and 60 oC in simulated seawater and runs steadily over 900 hours.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53724-1

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