A research team led by Prof. YIN Huajie from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a high-performance chlor-alkali electrode catalyst which has outstanding activity and long-term stability. The study was published in Nature Communications.

Efficient and durable catalysts for the chlorine evolution reaction (CER) are critical for chlor-alkali and related brine electrolysis processes. Conventional anodic materials often struggle to balance catalytic activity, selectivity, cost, and stability under harsh operating conditions.

To address these challenges, researchers carried out systematic investigations into catalyst design, active-site regulation, and reaction mechanisms. They developed a new catalyst by introducing atomically dispersed cerium (Ce) into spinel Co₃O₄ with a three-dimensionally ordered macroporous structure 3D Ce–Co₃O₄.

Structural characterization revealed that Ce atoms occupied octahedral Co sites, inducing local structural distortion and generating undercoordinated Co active centers capable of directly adsorbing Cl^- ions. In situ characterization and density functional theory calculations showed that Ce doping shifted the active site from an oxygen-centered to a Co-centered configuration, optimizing Cl^- adsorption, enhancing catalytic activity, and effectively suppressing lattice-oxygen corrosion.

Electrochemical tests demonstrated that in acidic NaCl electrolyte, the catalyst delivered excellent performance, requiring only a very low overpotential to drive the chlorine evolution reaction with near-perfect selectivity. Under conditions simulating industrial chlor-alkali electrolysis, it maintained stable operation for an extended period at a high industrial-level current density.

These findings highlight the strong potential of 3D Ce–Co₃O₄ for chlor-alkali electrolysis. The study offers a promising strategy for developing efficient and durable non-noble-metal CER catalysts.