Ion sieving membrane for direct seawater anti-precipitation hydrogen evolution reaction electrode.

In seawater, severe hydroxide-based precipitation on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrode surface is still a major stumbling block for direct seawater electrolysis. Here, we design a direct seawater HER electrode with excellent anti-precipitation performance based on an Ni(OH) ₂ nanofiltration membrane in situ grown on nickel foam (NF) at room temperature. The positively charged Ni(OH) ₂ membrane with nanometer-scale cracks realises an ion sieving function, which apparently hinders the transfer of Mg ²⁺ /Ca ²⁺ ions to suppress precipitation, while rapidly transporting OH ^- and H ₂ O to ensure HER mass transfer. Therefore, the Ni(OH) ₂ -membrane-decorated seawater HER electrode reduces precipitation by about 98.3% and exhibits high activity and stability. Moreover, in the application of a direct seawater electrolyser and magnesium seawater battery, the Ni(OH) ₂ membrane-decorated electrode also shows low precipitation and high stability. This work highlights a potential strategy to solve HER electrode precipitation in seawater via an ingenious electrode structure design.
Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare.
(This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)