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

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

SUBMITTER: Zhang XL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11530463 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature