On October 15, Xie Heping, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of Shenzhen University, published the research results entitled "Redox-mediated decoupled direct electrolysis of seawater hydrogen production" in the "Natural · Communications" with the National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Safe Operation and Maintenance of Deep Earth Engineering jointly built by Shenzhen University and Sichuan University as the first unit. This is the second research result published by Academician Xie Heping in the sub-journal of Nature after the research results of hydrogen production by direct electrolysis of seawater were published in Nature. It is worth noting that the project has been displayed at the 21st and 22nd China · Straits Innovation Project Achievement Fair.
Decoupled seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production strategy. Source: Shenzhen University
This study is another new decoupled seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production strategy proposed by Academician Xie Heping's team around the side reactions and electrode corrosion caused by chloride ions in seawater. In this paper, the reversible redox characteristics of the ferricyanate/ferrocyanate electric pair in the real seawater system were systematically studied, the high efficiency of the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction and the anode ferrocyanate oxidation reaction in the electrolysis system was clarified, and the reaction mechanism of the spontaneous and stable oxygen production under the decoupling system was clarified, and the long-term stability of the new system in the real seawater environment for 250 hours was realized.
Xie Heping (middle), academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, distinguished professor of Shenzhen University, and executive deputy director of the Advisory Committee of the Guangdong Federation of Academicians.
Hydrogen production from seawater electrolysis is an important development path for the future energy system. Traditional seawater indirect hydrogen production technology first desalination and then hydrogen production, relying on complex seawater desalination process and equipment, occupies a large area, has high investment cost and engineering difficulty. Since the early 70s of the 20th century, the scientific community has begun to explore the possibility of direct electrolysis of seawater to produce hydrogen. In the past few decades, a number of internationally renowned research institutions, including Stanford University in United States, the National Center for Scientific Research in France, the University of Adelaide in Australia, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have conducted in-depth research on key problems such as chloride ion interference, calcium and magnesium salt precipitation, and catalyst inactivation in direct electrolysis of seawater hydrogen production through catalyst design and membrane material science.
In November 2022, the team of Academician Xie Heping innovatively proposed a new path for direct electrolysis of seawater by combining physical and mechanical processes such as molecular diffusion and interfacial phase equilibrium with electrochemical reactions, which fundamentally solved the difficulties and bottlenecks of direct electrolysis of seawater hydrogen production, and the results were published in the journal Nature and selected as one of the "Top Ten Advances in Chinese Science in 2022".
In May 2023, Academician Xie Heping's team and Dongfang Electric Group jointly developed the floating hydrogen production system "Dongfu No. 1", which can withstand 3~8 gales, Stable operation under the condition of 0.3~0.9 m waves, creating the world's first demonstration of in-situ direct electrolysis of seawater without desalination of offshore wind power, verifying the feasibility of in-situ direct electrolysis of seawater without desalination in the complex load environment of the ocean for the first time, and building a new mode of integrated seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production combined with renewable energy, which is currently the world's only floating offshore direct electrolysis hydrogen production demonstration case, and also marks that the new principle and new technology developed by Academician Xie's team are rapidly moving towards industrialization.
The principle and strategic development of decoupled seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production launched by Academician Xie Heping's team this time further broadened the new principle and technical system of seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production without desalination, and further improved the theoretical system and technical framework of seawater electrolysis hydrogen production to solve the influence of complex components of seawater, providing theoretical guidance for the industrialization development of seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production.
Source: China Youth Daily, Science and Technology Daily
Editor: Zhan Yuqing
First trial: Chen Chen
Final review: Xu Jing