Hydrogen bond mediated oxidation enables sustained oxygen evolution at industrial current densities

Abstract

Stable and efficient non−precious electrocatalysts are crucial for the industrialization of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis as a green hydrogen production technology. Here, we show a synergistic dual-anion engineering combining Se doping and surface [B(OH)4]− modification to overcome the activity-stability trade-off in NiFe (oxy)hydroxide. Se-doping optimizes the O 2p band center and enhances lattice oxygen participation, while [B(OH)4]− forms an interfacial hydrogen-bond network for efficient proton transfer and intermediate stabilization. This triggers a hydrogen bond-mediated oxidation mechanism, in which accelerated OH⁻ diffusion replenishes lattice oxygen dynamically while preventing vacancy accumulation. The resulting NiFe(Se)OH-BO catalyst can achieve a 177 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm−2. When serving as the anode for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis, it operates stably for >3400 h at 1 A cm−2 (70 °C), reducing hydrogen production costs to $2.28 per kg H2—surpassing the European Commission’s 2030 target and demonstrating compelling potential for a sustainable hydrogen economy. Nonprecious catalysts are vital for green hydrogen production via anion exchange membrane electrolysis. Here, the authors report a dual-anion regulation strategy in NiFe (oxy)hydroxide that enables stable operation over 3400 hours at an industrial current density of 1 A cm-2.