Recent Progress in Design Strategy of Anode for Seawater Electrolysis

Direct electrolysis of inexhaustible seawater to generate green hydrogen represents a more environment-friendly technology relative to freshwater electrolysis. However, current seawater splitting suffers from a low catalytic efficiency and poor operation stability caused by anodic competition between the oxygen evolution reaction and the chlorine oxidation reaction as well as the severe chloride corrosion. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest achievements in promoting the selectivity and stability in seawater electrolysis. Beginning with the fundamentals of the anode reactions during seawater splitting, various strategies to design advanced anodic electrocatalyst including surface selective layer engineering, structural regulation by heteroatoms doping and vacancies, and heterostructure construction are discussed in detail. Finally, the conclusion and the challenges in developing seawater electrolysis technology are highlighted.