Corrosion-Resistant MoO<sub>3</sub>/Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/MoS<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions Stabilize OH<sup>–</sup> Adsorption for Efficient Light-Assisted Seawater Electrooxidation
Zhengquan Li, Wei Tao, Ying Wang, Xucun Ye, Yiqun Chen, Byungchan Han, Lawrence Yoon Suk Lee
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Direct seawater electrolysis holds promise for sustainable hydrogen production, yet challenges such as severe chlorine corrosion on the anode and high energy barriers for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limit its operational time and efficiency. Herein, we present MoO 3 /Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 heterojunctions to mitigate chlorine-induced corrosion and achieve effective photoelectric synergy. The in situ leached MoO 4 2– and SO 4 2– inhibitors reduce Cl – adsorption, thereby ensuring high OER selectivity, while the MoO 3 /Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 balances the repelling effects of these inhibitors, facilitating OH – adsorption and widening the overpotential gap between water oxidation and chlorine oxidation. The MoO 3 /Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 catalyst outperforms its Fe 2 O 3 counterpart in terms of lifespan, maintaining stability at 100 and 300 mA cm –2 for 100 and 500 h, respectively. Additionally, built-in electric fields formed at the interfaces lower interfacial resistance and extend the lifetime of photogenerated carriers by 1.47-fold, allowing for a 20.4% increase in seawater OER current density under light irradiation. Our findings offer a viable strategy for designing high-performance electrocatalysts for light-assisted seawater electrolysis.