Achievement of Transition Metal Chalcogenides/Oxides in Hydrogen Production by Seawater Electrolysis

Abstract

Under the impetus of global “dual carbon” goals, green hydrogen has become a key component of the future energy system, in which seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production is an important direction in various techniques. The key to this technology lies in synthesizing a high-performance catalyst with high selectivity, activity, and stability, while choosing materials that are widely available, easy to extract, and environmentally friendly and low cost. In recent years, transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs)/oxides have shown great application potential in seawater splitting for hydrogen generation due to their adjustable electronic properties, abundant active sites, and excellent catalytic performance. In this review, we systematically summarize the achievement of TMCs/oxides in hydrogen production by seawater electrolysis focusing on the strategies to construct advanced catalysts. The optimization strategies including dopant, heterojunction construction and defect engineering are discussed in detail, covering preparation processes, catalytic performance, structural characterization, catalytic mechanisms, the structure-activity relationship between microstructures and catalytic activity, as well as the design principles for boosting industrial application. Finally, the existing challenges and future development directions of TMCs/oxides materials for seawater electrolysis hydrogen production are summarized and prospected.