Strategies for Long-term Stability of Cathode Catalysts in Direct Seawater Electrolysis

  • 摘要: 直接海水电解制氢是实现大规模绿色能源转型的战略性技术,但其阴极在真实海洋工况下的长效稳定性问题是制约其工业化的核心瓶颈。目前,该技术面临无机盐结垢与启停波动致结构失稳两大核心挑战。针对上述瓶颈,系统综述了跨尺度催化体系的稳定性提升策略。在抗结垢方面,梳理了形貌自清洁、微环境动态调控、界面离子屏障及宏观反应器系统工程的协同防御机制;在抗波动失活方面,剖析了原位动态钝化、微环境静电屏蔽、异质锚固与空间限域等缓解反向电流冲击的结构稳固策略。对比分析表明,大电流密度下的局域传质极化与极端变载工况下的全电池短路原电池效应是当前技术的共性瓶颈;抗结垢与抗波动策略的有效性高度取决于运行电流区间与电解液流场动力学特征。未来突破需依赖微观活性位点保护与宏观反应器流场管理的跨尺度协同设计。最后,提炼了长效耐受型阴极的工程化设计准则,并展望了无机物多元素伴生提取与数据驱动发现的前景,以期为规模化、可持续的海水制氢提供学术参考。

     

    Abstract: Direct seawater electrolysis is a strategic technology for realizing the large-scale green energy transition, but the long-term stability of the cathode under authentic marine working conditions remains a core bottleneck restricting its industrialization. Currently, this technology faces two major challenges: inorganic salt scaling and structural instability induced by start-stop fluctuations. Addressing these bottlenecks, this review systematically summarizes multiscale stability-enhancement strategies for catalytic systems. Regarding anti-scaling, it outlines synergistic defense mechanisms including morphological self-cleaning, dynamic microenvironment regulation, interfacial ion barriers, and macroscopic reactor system engineering. In terms of anti-fluctuation deactivation, it analyzes structural stabilization strategies to mitigate reverse current shocks, such as in-situ dynamic passivation, microenvironmental electrostatic shielding, heterogeneous anchoring, and spatial confinement. Comparative analysis reveals that local mass transfer polarization at high current densities and the whole-cell short-circuit galvanic effect under extreme variable-load conditions are common technical bottlenecks. The effectiveness of anti-scaling and anti-fluctuation strategies highly depends on the operating current range and the hydrodynamic characteristics of the electrolyte flow field. Future breakthroughs rely on cross-scale synergistic designs integrating microscopic active site protection with macroscopic reactor flow field management. Finally, engineering design criteria for durable cathodes are extracted, and the prospects of multi-element co-extraction of inorganic substances and data-driven discovery are discussed, aiming to provide an academic reference for large-scale and sustainable hydrogen production from seawater.

     

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