海水电解制氢及锂镁资源提取研究进展

Research Progress in Seawater Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production and Coupled Lithium/Magnesium Resource Recovery

  • 摘要: 海水电解制氢可降低淡水消耗,并为沿海可再生能源消纳和海洋资源利用提供新的技术路径。然而,天然海水中Cl-、Mg2+、Ca2+、有机物和微生物等复杂组分易引发析氯腐蚀、阴极结垢、膜污染和传质衰减,使直接海水电解面临反应选择性和长期稳定性挑战。本文围绕析氢/析氧反应(HER/OER)与析氯反应(CER)竞争、阴极局部碱化、Mg(OH)2沉淀和Li+富集等关键过程,综述了碱性海水电解、氯介导电解、膜辅助电解、H2-Mg(OH)2联产和电化学提锂等研究进展。重点分析了抗氯阳极、抗结垢阴极、选择性膜、界面调控和流动电解槽等设计策略,以及制氢—提镁—富锂耦合体系的设计原理、界面反应机制和代表性研究案例。最后,讨论了活性氯控制、Mg/Ca沉淀调控、膜污染、Li+富集能耗及连续流放大等问题,并展望了海水电解向绿色制氢与锂镁资源协同利用平台发展的方向。

     

    Abstract: Seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production offers a promising route to reduce freshwater consumption, promote the utilization of coastal renewable energy, and enable the simultaneous exploitation of marine mineral resources. Compared with conventional water electrolysis using purified water, natural seawater provides abundant water supply and contains valuable ions such as Mg2+ and Li+, which creates opportunities for developing integrated systems for hydrogen production, magnesium recovery, and lithium enrichment. However, the complex composition of seawater also introduces substantial scientific and engineering challenges. High concentrations of Cl- can induce chlorine evolution or hypochlorite formation at the anode, while Mg2+ and Ca2+ tend to precipitate under cathodic alkaline conditions, leading to electrode blockage, membrane fouling, mass-transfer attenuation, and long-term performance decay. In addition, organic matter, microorganisms, suspended solids, and fluctuating seawater composition further complicate the interfacial reaction environment and limit the practical operation of direct seawater electrolysis. This review focuses on the key interfacial processes involved in seawater electrolysis and resource recovery, including the competition between hydrogen/oxygen evolution reactions and chlorine evolution reactions, cathodic local alkalization, Mg(OH)2 precipitation, and Li? enrichment. Recent advances in alkaline seawater electrolysis, chlorine-mediated electrolysis, membrane-assisted seawater electrolysis, H2-Mg(OH)2 co-production, and electrochemical lithium extraction are systematically summarized. Particular attention is paid to catalyst and electrode design strategies, such as chlorine-resistant anodes, anti-scaling cathodes, high-selectivity oxygen evolution electrodes, solidophobic interfaces, redox-mediated electrodes, selective membranes, and flow-field regulation. These strategies are discussed in relation to their ability to suppress chlorine-related side reactions, regulate interfacial ion distribution, control Mg/Ca precipitation behavior, and maintain stable hydrogen production under realistic seawater conditions. Beyond single-function hydrogen generation, this review further discusses the design principles and interfacial reaction mechanisms of integrated hydrogen production-magnesium extraction-lithium enrichment systems. In such systems, cathodic hydroxide generation can be used to convert Mg2+ into recoverable Mg(OH)2, while the remaining mother liquor or concentrated brine can be introduced into Li? enrichment units based on selective membranes, ion-sieve adsorption, or electrochemical intercalation/deintercalation. Representative studies show that rational coupling of electrode reactions, membrane transport, precipitation separation, and flow electrolyzers can transform some traditionally unfavorable seawater components into recoverable resources. Finally, major challenges are analyzed, including active chlorine control, Mg/Ca precipitation regulation, membrane stability, ion selectivity, Li? enrichment energy consumption, product purity, techno-economic feasibility, and continuous-flow scale-up. Future development should move from material-level performance evaluation toward system-level validation under real seawater, industrially relevant current densities, long-term operation, and quantifiable energy and resource recovery metrics, thereby promoting seawater electrolysis as a sustainable platform for green hydrogen production and lithium/magnesium resource co-utilization.

     

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