Design of anti-corrosion and anti-poisoning electrocatalysts in high salinity: From mechanism to application

The direct electrolysis of high-salinity water (e.g., seawater) presents significant potential for large-scale green hydrogen production. However, challenges such as corrosion and catalyst poisoning, driven by high concentrations of Cl⁻, severely impact the efficiency and stability of both oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction, posing a major obstacle to their industrialization. Therefore, developing high-performance electrocatalysts with anti-corrosion and anti-poisoning properties is critical for achieving stable and efficient electrolysis in high-salinity environments, making this a prominent challenge in contemporary research. This review presents a thorough analysis of the challenges and advancements in the production of green hydrogen through seawater electrolysis. We compile various approaches to enhance the selectivity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as well as corrosion resistance in high-salinity water electrolysis. These approaches include improvements in catalyst intrinsic activity, electrolyte design and introduct protective barrier layers. Finally, the prospects for the development of seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production are presented.