Transition metal-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen production from seawater: A review

Greenhouse gas emission was effectively reduced and the energy crisis was alleviated by decomposing seawater into hydrogen energy. Producing hydrogen from seawater through electrolysis poses particular challenges, such as competition between oxygen and chlorine evolution reactions on the anode and low conductivity of seawater, and therefore, researchers are actively working towards finding innovative solutions to overcome these obstacles. An in-depth overview of the principles and progress of seawater electrolysis for hydrogen energy production was provided in this paper. Various design strategies for electrocatalysts (such as transition metal nitrides, transition metal sulfides and transition metal phosphates), electrocatalysts performance evaluation index and the electrolysis mechanism were summarized. Finally, prospects and challenges of using seawater electrolysis for hydrogen energy production in future were proposed.