Citation: Haipeng Wang, Dongrui Li, Mingyu Liu, Yufei Kong, Chaoxin Yang, Zixiao Li, Shengjun Sun, Shaochen Wang, Mohamed S. Hamdy, Asmaa Farouk, Zhengwei Cai, Xuping Sun. Sodium alginate-modified NiFe layered double hydroxide for robust alkaline seawater oxidation at high current densities[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(9): 112945. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112945 shu

Sodium alginate-modified NiFe layered double hydroxide for robust alkaline seawater oxidation at high current densities

Haipeng Wang ^{a, b, c, 1} ,
Dongrui Li ^{d, 1} ,
Mingyu Liu ^d ,
Yufei Kong ^d ,
Chaoxin Yang ^d ,
Zixiao Li ^d ,
Shengjun Sun ^d ,
Shaochen Wang ^{a, b, c} ,
Mohamed S. Hamdy ^e ,
Asmaa Farouk ^e ,
Zhengwei Cai ^{f, *,} ,
Xuping Sun ^{d, g, *,}

a.
College of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
b.
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Security, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
c.
Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
d.
College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji’nan 250014, China
e.
Central Labs & Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
f.
Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao 266237, China
g.
Center for High Altitude Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China

caizhengwei2021@163.com

xpsun@uestc.edu.cn

Received Date: 30 December 2025
Revised Date: 12 May 2026
Accepted Date: 13 May 2026
Available Online: 14 May 2026

Figures(4)

Seawater electrolysis, utilizing coastal resources, holds great promise as a sustainable method for hydrogen production. However, the efficiency of seawater electrolysis is limited by anode catalysts with high overpotentials (η) and short lifespans, due to chloride-induced side reactions. In this study, we introduce sodium alginate (SA) modified NiFe layered double hydroxide nanosheets on Ni foam (SA@NiFe LDH/NF) as a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for long-term alkaline seawater oxidation. Our SA@NiFe LDH/NF needs a low η of 362 mV to reach 1000 mA/cm², outperforming the unmodified NiFe LDH/NF (425 mV). Furthermore, it maintains continuous electrolysis for 1600 h at current densities of 500 and 1000 mA/cm². In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that the SA protective layer not only facilitates NiOOH formation but also establishes a dense electrostatic network via carboxyl groups, which repels chloride ions and ensures stable seawater oxidation. This work presents a promising strategy for developing durable, high-performance anodes and highlights the potential of natural polysaccharide coatings for enhancing anode corrosion resistance during the seawater electrolysis process.
- Sodium alginate,
- NiFe layered double hydroxide,
- Seawater oxidation electrocatalysis,
- Cl^- repulsion,
- Long-term durability
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