Series Reports from Professor Wei’s Group of Chongqing University: Advancements in Electrochemical Energy Conversions (2/4): Report 2: High-Performance Water Splitting Electrocatalysts

Authors

Ling Zhang, National Key Laboratory of Special Power Supplies, National-Municipal Joint Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Process Intensification and Reaction, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Wang-Yang Wu, National Key Laboratory of Special Power Supplies, National-Municipal Joint Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Process Intensification and Reaction, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Qiu-Yue Hu, National Key Laboratory of Special Power Supplies, National-Municipal Joint Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Process Intensification and Reaction, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Shi-Dan Yang, National Key Laboratory of Special Power Supplies, National-Municipal Joint Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Process Intensification and Reaction, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Li Li, National Key Laboratory of Special Power Supplies, National-Municipal Joint Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Process Intensification and Reaction, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, ChinaFollow
Rui-Jin Liao, The State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment & System Security and New Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Zi-Dong Wei, National Key Laboratory of Special Power Supplies, National-Municipal Joint Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Process Intensification and Reaction, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, ChinaFollow

Corresponding Author

Li Li (liliracial@cqu.edu.cn);
Zi-Dong Wei (zdwei@cqu.edu.cn)

Abstract

The unavailability of high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts has impeded the large-scale deployment of alkaline water electrolyzers. Professor Zidong Wei’s group has focused on resolving critical challenges in industrial alkaline electrolysis, particularly elucidating hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) mechanisms while addressing the persistent activity-stability trade-off. This review summarizes their decade-long progress in developing advanced electrodes, analyzing the origins of sluggish alkaline HER kinetics and OER stability limitations. Professor Wei proposes a unifying “12345 Principle” as an optimization framework. For HER electrocatalysts, they have identified that metal/metal oxide interfaces create synergistic “chimney effect” and “local electric field enhancement effect”, enhancing selective intermediate adsorption, interfacial water enrichment/reorientation, and mass transport under industrial high-polarization conditions. Regarding OER, innovative strategies, including dual-ligand synergistic modulation, lattice oxygen suppression, and self-repairing surface construction, are demonstrated to balance oxygen species adsorption, optimize spin states, and dynamically reinforce metal-oxygen bonds for concurrent activity-stability enhancement. The review concludes by addressing remaining challenges in long-term industrial durability and suggesting future research priorities.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Alkaline water splitting, Hydron evolution reaction, Oxygen evolution reaction, Intrinsic activity, Stability

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.61558/2993-074X.3583

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Date

2025-09-28

Online Available Date

2025-09-01

Revised Date

2025-08-08

Received Date

2025-05-30

Recommended Citation

Ling Zhang, Wang-Yang Wu, Qiu-Yue Hu, Shi-Dan Yang, Li Li, Rui-Jin Liao, Zi-Dong Wei. Series Reports from Professor Wei’s Group of Chongqing University: Advancements in Electrochemical Energy Conversions (2/4): Report 2: High-Performance Water Splitting Electrocatalysts[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2025 , 31(9): 2515007.
DOI: 10.61558/2993-074X.3583
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol31/iss9/1