Oxophilic vanadium and deprotonated ruthenium atoms on tungsten carbide with accelerated intermediate migration for high-performance seawater hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Compared with traditional freshwater electrolysis, the seawater electrolysis process is confronted with low activity and poor stability problems due to the deposition of insoluble hydroxides and corrosion of chloride species; thus, engineering efficient catalysts for seawater electrolysis are extremely desirable but remain challenging. Herein, we have developed an efficient and robust electrocatalyst by engineering oxophilic vanadium and deprotonated ruthenium atoms on tungsten carbide (WC-RuV) as a highly active and anti-poisoning cathode material for superior seawater electrolysis. Benefiting from the high oxophilicity and electron transfer ability of V, the interaction between the OH* generated via water dissociation and Ru sites is weakened, which facilitates the OH* transfer process and consequently attenuates the formation of insoluble hydroxides. Notably, when working in simulated seawater electrolytes, the WC-RuV requires an ultralow overpotential, and the WC-RuV@carbon cloth can maintain high activity and stability even at 200 mA cm−2. The assembled WC-RuV||RuO2 anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer realizes long-term stability at the current of 100 mA cm−2 and achieves continuous operation powered by commercially available solar panels. This work provides an efficient strategy for modulating the water dissociation process and offers a new perspective for designing high-performance catalysts for the forthcoming application of seawater electrolysis.