Chalcogenide electrocatalysts for electrolytic seawater oxidation: design strategies for enhanced activity and selectivity

Abstract

Hydrogen production through seawater electrolysis is a crucial pathway for green hydrogen energy conversion, with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) serving as a key half-reaction. However, OER faces challenges such as sluggish kinetics and complex seawater components (e.g., chloride ion corrosion and competing side reactions). Chalcogenides (oxides, sulfides, selenides, tellurides) have recently attracted significant attention in seawater OER due to their abundant active sites, high stability, tunable electronic structures, natural abundance, and cost-effectiveness. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in chalcogenide-based catalysts for OER in seawater, focusing on their catalytic performance. First, the significant challenges facing the anode in seawater electrolysis, the fundamental mechanisms of OER and evaluation metrics for catalytic performance are introduced. Subsequently, the review highlights key strategies to enhance OER activity of chalcogenides in seawater, including heteroatom doping, heterostructure construction, surface morphology engineering, and defect engineering. Design principles for chloride suppression strategies in chalcogenide catalysts during seawater electrolysis are comprehensively discussed, involving the formation of protective layers to inhibit chloride ion adsorption, modulation of reaction selectivity, and the creation of polyionic layers to suppress chlorine oxidation reactions. Finally, challenges and future perspectives for chalcogenides in seawater OER applications are outlined, providing theoretical insights for designing efficient and stable seawater OER catalysts.