Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1038/s41929-025-01466-8
Mark Mba Wright
A cobalt-doped RuO2 catalyst enables proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysers to operate on inexpensive reverse-osmosis water for thousands of hours by blocking chloride and cation impurities. Dual interfacial shielding preserves membrane conductivity, suppresses chlorine evolution and minimizes metal dissolution. This strategy lowers capital and operating costs while maintaining high current densities, advancing practical low-purity-water hydrogen production.
{"title":"Shielding PEM electrolysers from real-world water","authors":"Mark Mba Wright","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01466-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-025-01466-8","url":null,"abstract":"A cobalt-doped RuO2 catalyst enables proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysers to operate on inexpensive reverse-osmosis water for thousands of hours by blocking chloride and cation impurities. Dual interfacial shielding preserves membrane conductivity, suppresses chlorine evolution and minimizes metal dissolution. This strategy lowers capital and operating costs while maintaining high current densities, advancing practical low-purity-water hydrogen production.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 1","pages":"7-8"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas and a chemically inert molecule, presents a major challenge for catalytic conversion. Existing methods are energy-intensive, while photocatalysis offers a promising solar-driven alternative; yet, its efficiency and selectivity are often hampered by uncontrolled radical reactivity and inefficient charge separation. Here we have developed a full-solar-spectrum photocatalyst by constructing a Schottky heterojunction with Pd deposited on Co3O4 derived from a metal–organic framework. The narrow bandgap and black colouration of Co3O4 enable broad solar absorption, while its tailored band structure minimizes overoxidation and undesired by-products by suppressing reactive species, including O2•−, ·OH and ·OOH. The work function difference between Pd and Co3O4 establishes an interfacial electric field that promotes directional carrier migration and reduces recombination. This design achieves efficient solar utilization, precise radical regulation and robust charge separation, delivering a C2H6 production rate from CH4 of 16.1 mmol per gram catalyst per hour with ~96.2% selectivity under mild conditions. The success of photocatalytic coupling of CH4 has been limited by the low solar absorption of wide-bandgap semiconductors and the uncontrolled oxidation caused by radical oxygen species. Here a Pd/Co3O4 heterojunction derived from a metal–organic framework demonstrates the selective conversion of CH4 to C2H6 by less reactive oxygen species under full-solar-spectrum irradiation.
{"title":"Co3O4 as full-solar-spectrum photocatalyst for selective methane conversion through reactive oxygen species control","authors":"Feiyan Xu, Luoxuan Zheng, Jianjun Zhang, Ying He, Heng Cao, Xusheng Zheng, Hermenegildo García, Jiaguo Yu","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01471-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-025-01471-x","url":null,"abstract":"Methane, a potent greenhouse gas and a chemically inert molecule, presents a major challenge for catalytic conversion. Existing methods are energy-intensive, while photocatalysis offers a promising solar-driven alternative; yet, its efficiency and selectivity are often hampered by uncontrolled radical reactivity and inefficient charge separation. Here we have developed a full-solar-spectrum photocatalyst by constructing a Schottky heterojunction with Pd deposited on Co3O4 derived from a metal–organic framework. The narrow bandgap and black colouration of Co3O4 enable broad solar absorption, while its tailored band structure minimizes overoxidation and undesired by-products by suppressing reactive species, including O2•−, ·OH and ·OOH. The work function difference between Pd and Co3O4 establishes an interfacial electric field that promotes directional carrier migration and reduces recombination. This design achieves efficient solar utilization, precise radical regulation and robust charge separation, delivering a C2H6 production rate from CH4 of 16.1 mmol per gram catalyst per hour with ~96.2% selectivity under mild conditions. The success of photocatalytic coupling of CH4 has been limited by the low solar absorption of wide-bandgap semiconductors and the uncontrolled oxidation caused by radical oxygen species. Here a Pd/Co3O4 heterojunction derived from a metal–organic framework demonstrates the selective conversion of CH4 to C2H6 by less reactive oxygen species under full-solar-spectrum irradiation.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 1","pages":"73-86"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146043113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Photobiocatalysis provides a powerful strategy for integrating light and biological catalysts to drive abiological transformations. However, its scalability is hindered by high enzyme loading, reliance on costly cofactors and instability under radical-generating conditions. Here we report the integration of light-driven enzymatic reactions into the cellular metabolism of Escherichia coli, bridging flavin-based photobiocatalysis with biosynthesis. Using synthetic biology strategies, we engineered microbial cells to continuously produce olefin substrates and ene-reductase while regenerating cofactors directly from glucose. By externally supplying radical precursors or introducing synthetic pathways for their in situ production, we enabled fermentation-based microbial photobiosynthesis, achieving high titres and demonstrating feasibility for scale-up in a bioreactor. This approach extends photobiocatalysis from in vitro applications to in vivo semi- and complete biosynthesis, revealing its full potential for integrating light-driven reactions into cellular metabolism. Light-driven enzymatic catalysis has enabled important abiological transformations in vitro. Now a cellular ene-reductase photoenzyme is integrated with a de novo-designed olefin biosynthetic pathway for photoinduced hydroalkylation, hydroamination and hydrosulfonylation reactions within cells.
{"title":"Harnessing photoenzymatic reactions for unnatural biosynthesis in microorganisms","authors":"Yujie Yuan, Maolin Li, Wesley Harrison, Zhengyi Zhang, Huimin Zhao","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01470-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-025-01470-y","url":null,"abstract":"Photobiocatalysis provides a powerful strategy for integrating light and biological catalysts to drive abiological transformations. However, its scalability is hindered by high enzyme loading, reliance on costly cofactors and instability under radical-generating conditions. Here we report the integration of light-driven enzymatic reactions into the cellular metabolism of Escherichia coli, bridging flavin-based photobiocatalysis with biosynthesis. Using synthetic biology strategies, we engineered microbial cells to continuously produce olefin substrates and ene-reductase while regenerating cofactors directly from glucose. By externally supplying radical precursors or introducing synthetic pathways for their in situ production, we enabled fermentation-based microbial photobiosynthesis, achieving high titres and demonstrating feasibility for scale-up in a bioreactor. This approach extends photobiocatalysis from in vitro applications to in vivo semi- and complete biosynthesis, revealing its full potential for integrating light-driven reactions into cellular metabolism. Light-driven enzymatic catalysis has enabled important abiological transformations in vitro. Now a cellular ene-reductase photoenzyme is integrated with a de novo-designed olefin biosynthetic pathway for photoinduced hydroalkylation, hydroamination and hydrosulfonylation reactions within cells.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 1","pages":"62-72"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146043112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1038/s41929-025-01473-9
Sagnik Chakrabarti, Ju Byeong Chae, Katy A. Knecht, Nicholas D. Cedron, Toby J. Woods, Liviu M. Mirica
Nickel-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have emerged as a powerful strategy to construct complex molecules. Such reactions generally employ Ni(II) or Ni(0) compounds as precatalysts. Although highly desirable, catalytically competent Ni(I) sources with exchangeable ancillary ligands are lacking. Here we report the synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of thermally stable dinuclear Ni(I) complexes supported by commercially available isocyanides as a general solution to this problem. Two classes of Ni(I) isocyanide complexes have been developed: coordinatively saturated homoleptic compounds and coordinatively unsaturated Ni(I)-halide compounds. These Ni(I) compounds exhibit rapid ligand substitution and are efficient catalysts in Kumada, Suzuki–Miyaura and Buchwald–Hartwig cross-coupling reactions, suggesting their potential use as either Ni(I) catalysts or precatalysts. In addition, bromide-selective functionalization of polyhalogenated arenes with Grignard reagents is achieved under nickel catalysis. Finally, spectroscopic and mechanistic studies are performed to establish the general use of isocyanides as spectator ligands for cross-coupling reactions, representing an untapped chemical space for reaction discovery.
{"title":"Catalytically competent nickel(I)–isocyanide compounds for cross-coupling reactions","authors":"Sagnik Chakrabarti, Ju Byeong Chae, Katy A. Knecht, Nicholas D. Cedron, Toby J. Woods, Liviu M. Mirica","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01473-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-025-01473-9","url":null,"abstract":"Nickel-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have emerged as a powerful strategy to construct complex molecules. Such reactions generally employ Ni(II) or Ni(0) compounds as precatalysts. Although highly desirable, catalytically competent Ni(I) sources with exchangeable ancillary ligands are lacking. Here we report the synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of thermally stable dinuclear Ni(I) complexes supported by commercially available isocyanides as a general solution to this problem. Two classes of Ni(I) isocyanide complexes have been developed: coordinatively saturated homoleptic compounds and coordinatively unsaturated Ni(I)-halide compounds. These Ni(I) compounds exhibit rapid ligand substitution and are efficient catalysts in Kumada, Suzuki–Miyaura and Buchwald–Hartwig cross-coupling reactions, suggesting their potential use as either Ni(I) catalysts or precatalysts. In addition, bromide-selective functionalization of polyhalogenated arenes with Grignard reagents is achieved under nickel catalysis. Finally, spectroscopic and mechanistic studies are performed to establish the general use of isocyanides as spectator ligands for cross-coupling reactions, representing an untapped chemical space for reaction discovery.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":37.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Developing Earth-abundant anode electrocatalysts for proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) to replace iridium is crucial for reducing hydrogen production costs but their poor acid stability remains a major challenge. Here we prepare a lanthanum and calcium co-doped Co3O4 catalyst, which can tune water–surface interactions to suppress cobalt dissolution, thereby enhancing stability. Lanthanum with weak water affinity is introduced onto the Co3O4 surface to construct atomic sites with specific water–molecule interactions (CoLa-SWMI). The CoLa-SWMI reconstructs the interfacial water environment and moderately alleviates the polarization of the metal–oxygen bond induced by hydrogen bonding with water molecules, thereby extending catalyst lifetime. Moreover, the leaching of surface calcium species creates highly active coordinatively unsaturated cobalt sites, which enhance catalytic activity (CoLaCa-SWMI). PEMWE using a CoLaCa-SWMI anode operates stably for 830 h at 1.0 A cm−2. This study provides an approach to designing non-noble-metal electrocatalysts, potentially reducing reliance on rare metals in PEMWE.
开发储量丰富的质子交换膜电解阳极电催化剂替代铱是降低制氢成本的关键，但其酸稳定性差仍是一大挑战。本文制备了镧钙共掺杂的Co3O4催化剂，该催化剂可以调节水-表面相互作用，抑制钴的溶解，从而提高稳定性。在Co3O4表面引入具有弱亲水性的镧，构建具有特定水分子相互作用的原子位点（CoLa-SWMI）。CoLa-SWMI重建了界面水环境，适度缓解了水分子氢键引起的金属-氧键极化，从而延长了催化剂寿命。此外，表面钙的浸出产生了高活性的协同不饱和钴位点，从而增强了催化活性（CoLaCa-SWMI）。使用CoLaCa-SWMI阳极的PEMWE在1.0 a cm - 2下稳定工作830小时。这项研究提供了一种设计非贵金属电催化剂的方法，有可能减少PEMWE对稀有金属的依赖。
{"title":"Tailored water–surface interactions on cobalt oxide for stable proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysis","authors":"Luqi Wang, Yixin Hao, Jinliang Pan, Suwan Bi, Sung-Fu Hung, Kang-Shun Peng, Ai-Yin Wang, Tsung-Yi Chen, Shaoxiong Li, Chongyi Ling, Ying Zhang, Linlin Li, Feng Hu, Xiong Zhou, Han-Yi Chen, Kai Wu, Jinlan Wang, Yuping Wu, Shengjie Peng","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01476-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-025-01476-6","url":null,"abstract":"Developing Earth-abundant anode electrocatalysts for proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) to replace iridium is crucial for reducing hydrogen production costs but their poor acid stability remains a major challenge. Here we prepare a lanthanum and calcium co-doped Co3O4 catalyst, which can tune water–surface interactions to suppress cobalt dissolution, thereby enhancing stability. Lanthanum with weak water affinity is introduced onto the Co3O4 surface to construct atomic sites with specific water–molecule interactions (CoLa-SWMI). The CoLa-SWMI reconstructs the interfacial water environment and moderately alleviates the polarization of the metal–oxygen bond induced by hydrogen bonding with water molecules, thereby extending catalyst lifetime. Moreover, the leaching of surface calcium species creates highly active coordinatively unsaturated cobalt sites, which enhance catalytic activity (CoLaCa-SWMI). PEMWE using a CoLaCa-SWMI anode operates stably for 830 h at 1.0 A cm−2. This study provides an approach to designing non-noble-metal electrocatalysts, potentially reducing reliance on rare metals in PEMWE.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":37.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The ammoximation of cyclohexanone using a Ti‑zeolite/H2O2 system, coupled with a Beckmann rearrangement, is now commercially employed to produce ε‑caprolactam—a critical precursor for the synthesis of Nylon 6. The in situ generation of H2O2 integrated with the titanosilicate-catalysed ammoximation of cyclohexanone can eliminate the need for transportation and storage of concentrated H2O2, mitigating the economic and environmental costs associated with its production via the conventional anthraquinone process. Here we present a titanium-mordenite‑confined low-Pd-loaded catalyst with subnanometric Pd clusters within specific pores, enabling direct cyclohexanone ammoximation with H2 and O2. With only 0.055 wt% Pd, this catalyst maintains exceptional stability for over 4,020 h of continuous ammoximation with H2 and O2, achieving 99% oxime selectivity even in H2O. Our work contributes to the development of an alternative ammoximation route that minimizes precious-metal usage, reducing reliance on both organic solvents and H2O2, and paves the way towards a more eco-efficient process for ε-caprolactam production. Titanosilicates in combination with H2O2 catalyse the ammoxidation of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanone oxime, a key Nylon precursor. Integrating a step for the in situ synthesis of H2O2 can lead to important efficiency gains but remains challenging. Here the authors report low-loaded subnanometric Pd clusters on titanium mordenite as an efficient catalyst for this transformation.
{"title":"Titanium mordenite-confined low-loaded Pd for efficient oxime production with H2 and O2","authors":"Zhipeng Wan, Qingjie Zeng, Zhuoya Dong, Yue Ma, Jicong Yan, Xiang Wang, Chengwei Zhai, Haoyi Lin, Mingbin Gao, Jiangwei Zhang, Yanhang Ma, Hao Xu, Lansun Zheng, Peng Wu","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01465-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-025-01465-9","url":null,"abstract":"The ammoximation of cyclohexanone using a Ti‑zeolite/H2O2 system, coupled with a Beckmann rearrangement, is now commercially employed to produce ε‑caprolactam—a critical precursor for the synthesis of Nylon 6. The in situ generation of H2O2 integrated with the titanosilicate-catalysed ammoximation of cyclohexanone can eliminate the need for transportation and storage of concentrated H2O2, mitigating the economic and environmental costs associated with its production via the conventional anthraquinone process. Here we present a titanium-mordenite‑confined low-Pd-loaded catalyst with subnanometric Pd clusters within specific pores, enabling direct cyclohexanone ammoximation with H2 and O2. With only 0.055 wt% Pd, this catalyst maintains exceptional stability for over 4,020 h of continuous ammoximation with H2 and O2, achieving 99% oxime selectivity even in H2O. Our work contributes to the development of an alternative ammoximation route that minimizes precious-metal usage, reducing reliance on both organic solvents and H2O2, and paves the way towards a more eco-efficient process for ε-caprolactam production. Titanosilicates in combination with H2O2 catalyse the ammoxidation of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanone oxime, a key Nylon precursor. Integrating a step for the in situ synthesis of H2O2 can lead to important efficiency gains but remains challenging. Here the authors report low-loaded subnanometric Pd clusters on titanium mordenite as an efficient catalyst for this transformation.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 1","pages":"48-61"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1038/s41929-025-01464-w
Weipeng Shao, Yanxiao Ning, Wenjie Liao, Xin Yu, Bowen Zhu, Yun Liu, Yi Zhang, Liang Yu, Qingfei Liu, Hao Chen, Lunjia Zhang, Weiwen Meng, Xuan Wang, Mingshu Chen, Qiang Fu, Ping Liu, Fan Yang, Xinhe Bao
Translating atomic-scale insights from surface science studies of model catalysts to practical powder catalysts remains a persistent challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. Here we demonstrate mechanistic continuity across the pressure and materials gaps during CO oxidation at the FeO–Pt interface using in situ microscopy, spectroscopy and computational modelling. Under reaction conditions, coordinatively unsaturated Fe (Fecus) sites at the interface enable selective O2 activation on CO-saturated surfaces, circumventing the CO-poisoning limitation of platinum-group metals. We identify parallel reaction pathways involving the *O2–*CO intermediate. Remarkably, activation energies remain consistent at 12–15 kJ mol−1 (0.12–0.16 eV) from ultrahigh vacuum to atmospheric pressures and from FeO/Pt(111) model catalysts to FeO/Pt powder catalysts, validating mechanistic insights derived from surface science studies. Our findings show an example of bridging the long-standing divide between model and practical catalyst systems, establishing an effective approach to capture catalytic behaviours under operational conditions and advancing mechanism-driven catalyst design. Insights from surface science studies on model catalysts very often do not translate to practical catalytic systems due to the so-called pressure and materials gaps. Now, a combination of in situ microscopy, spectroscopy and computational modelling is used to bridge the knowledge from surface science and powder catalysts for FeO–Pt during CO oxidation.
{"title":"Continuity of reaction kinetics across the pressure and materials gaps in CO oxidation on FeO–Pt interfaces","authors":"Weipeng Shao, Yanxiao Ning, Wenjie Liao, Xin Yu, Bowen Zhu, Yun Liu, Yi Zhang, Liang Yu, Qingfei Liu, Hao Chen, Lunjia Zhang, Weiwen Meng, Xuan Wang, Mingshu Chen, Qiang Fu, Ping Liu, Fan Yang, Xinhe Bao","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01464-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-025-01464-w","url":null,"abstract":"Translating atomic-scale insights from surface science studies of model catalysts to practical powder catalysts remains a persistent challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. Here we demonstrate mechanistic continuity across the pressure and materials gaps during CO oxidation at the FeO–Pt interface using in situ microscopy, spectroscopy and computational modelling. Under reaction conditions, coordinatively unsaturated Fe (Fecus) sites at the interface enable selective O2 activation on CO-saturated surfaces, circumventing the CO-poisoning limitation of platinum-group metals. We identify parallel reaction pathways involving the *O2–*CO intermediate. Remarkably, activation energies remain consistent at 12–15 kJ mol−1 (0.12–0.16 eV) from ultrahigh vacuum to atmospheric pressures and from FeO/Pt(111) model catalysts to FeO/Pt powder catalysts, validating mechanistic insights derived from surface science studies. Our findings show an example of bridging the long-standing divide between model and practical catalyst systems, establishing an effective approach to capture catalytic behaviours under operational conditions and advancing mechanism-driven catalyst design. Insights from surface science studies on model catalysts very often do not translate to practical catalytic systems due to the so-called pressure and materials gaps. Now, a combination of in situ microscopy, spectroscopy and computational modelling is used to bridge the knowledge from surface science and powder catalysts for FeO–Pt during CO oxidation.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 1","pages":"37-47"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145908194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1038/s41929-025-01456-w
Hao Liu, Xiaogang Sun, Fei-Yue Gao, Yao Zheng, Shi-Zhang Qiao
The durability of proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysers (PEMWE) is strongly influenced by the purity of the feedwater. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a cost-effective purification method, but the residual ions usually cause rapid degradation. Here we show that a standard PEMWE equipped with a cobalt-doped ruthenium dioxide (Co–RuO2) anode catalyst can operate stably for 2,000 h at 1.0 A cm−2 using RO-level impure water, with a degradation rate of 10.2 μV h−1. The catalyst provides two complementary protections: Co sites selectively and reversibly capture chloride ions (Cl−), forming a shielding layer against anions corrosion, and strain-activated Ru sites create a proton-rich interface that blocks impurity cations. Together, these effects maintain electrode activity and membrane conductivity. As a result, RO water electrolysis achieves a durability comparable to pure water operation while retaining the cost benefits of seawater-derived purification, offering a practical route towards efficient and affordable hydrogen production. The stability of PEM water electrolysers is severely affected by the purity of the water employed. Here a cobalt-doped RuO2 catalyst is developed to operate with water treated with reverse osmosis, which contains a significant amount of residual ions, achieving a degradation rate of only 10 μV h−1 after 2,000 h of continuous operation at 1 A cm−2.
质子交换膜式水电解槽（PEMWE）的寿命受进水纯度的影响很大。反渗透（RO）是一种经济高效的净化方法，但残留离子通常会导致快速降解。本文研究表明，在ro级不纯水中，采用掺杂钴的二氧化钌（Co-RuO2）阳极催化剂的标准PEMWE可以在1.0 a cm−2下稳定工作2000 h，降解率为10.2 μV h−1。催化剂提供了两种互补的保护：Co位点选择性和可逆地捕获氯离子（Cl−），形成防止阴离子腐蚀的屏蔽层，而应变激活的Ru位点产生富含质子的界面，阻挡杂质阳离子。这些作用共同维持了电极活性和膜导电性。因此，反渗透电解实现了与纯水操作相当的耐用性，同时保留了海水净化的成本优势，为高效和负担得起的制氢提供了切实可行的途径。PEM水电解槽的稳定性受到所用水纯度的严重影响。本文开发了一种钴掺杂的RuO2催化剂，用于反渗透处理的水中，其中含有大量残留离子，在1 a cm−2的连续工作2000 h后，降解率仅为10 μV h−1。
{"title":"Cost-efficient and stable electrolysis of reverse osmosis water using a Co-RuO2-enabled PEM electrolyser","authors":"Hao Liu, Xiaogang Sun, Fei-Yue Gao, Yao Zheng, Shi-Zhang Qiao","doi":"10.1038/s41929-025-01456-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-025-01456-w","url":null,"abstract":"The durability of proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysers (PEMWE) is strongly influenced by the purity of the feedwater. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a cost-effective purification method, but the residual ions usually cause rapid degradation. Here we show that a standard PEMWE equipped with a cobalt-doped ruthenium dioxide (Co–RuO2) anode catalyst can operate stably for 2,000 h at 1.0 A cm−2 using RO-level impure water, with a degradation rate of 10.2 μV h−1. The catalyst provides two complementary protections: Co sites selectively and reversibly capture chloride ions (Cl−), forming a shielding layer against anions corrosion, and strain-activated Ru sites create a proton-rich interface that blocks impurity cations. Together, these effects maintain electrode activity and membrane conductivity. As a result, RO water electrolysis achieves a durability comparable to pure water operation while retaining the cost benefits of seawater-derived purification, offering a practical route towards efficient and affordable hydrogen production. The stability of PEM water electrolysers is severely affected by the purity of the water employed. Here a cobalt-doped RuO2 catalyst is developed to operate with water treated with reverse osmosis, which contains a significant amount of residual ions, achieving a degradation rate of only 10 μV h−1 after 2,000 h of continuous operation at 1 A cm−2.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 1","pages":"9-17"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145908192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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