Recent progress on bulk Fe-based alloys for industrial alkaline water electrolysis

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is the most mature technology to produce green hydrogen for achieving carbon neutrality. However, the high cost of green hydrogen leads to its low market-occupation rate. The key to improving the rate is to develop low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts that can be easily fabricated on a large scale in industry. Bulk Fe-based alloys stand out because they are cheap, abundant, very stable, and suitable for mass production, leading to high potential for achieving green hydrogen production commercially by AWE. In this review, we systemically summarize recent development on strategies to improve the catalytic activity of bulk Fe-based alloys, including constructing porous structures, alloying, doping, in situ activation, dealloying, corrosion, and anodization. Prospects for the use of bulk Fe-based alloys in industrial AWE are given at the end. We expect that this review can provide guidelines for the manufacturing of bulk Fe-based alloys for the mass production of green hydrogen in AWE.

Automated summary

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is the most established technology for producing green hydrogen, but its high cost limits its market penetration. Developing low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts that can be produced on an industrial scale is crucial for improving the market share. Bulk Fe-based alloys are promising candidates due to their low cost, abundance, stability, and suitability for mass production. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent strategies to enhance the catalytic activity of bulk Fe-based alloys and discusses their prospects in industrial AWE.