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<p>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–RuO<sub>2</sub>) anode catalyst can operate stably for 2,000 h at 1.0 A cm<sup>−2</sup> using RO-level impure water, with a degradation rate of 10.2 μV h<sup>−1</sup>. The catalyst provides two complementary protections: Co sites selectively and reversibly capture chloride ions (Cl<sup>−</sup>), 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.</p><p></p>

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Cost-efficient and stable electrolysis of reverse osmosis water using a Co-RuO2-enabled PEM electrolyser

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月7日

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  • Hao Liu,
  • Xiaogang Sun,
  • Fei-Yue Gao,
  • Yao Zheng,
  • Shi-Zhang Qiao

摘要

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.