Induction-heated Ni/Ni3N electrodes with enhanced activity and start-stop durability for alkaline water electrolysis

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) represents the largest-scale green hydrogen production technology, but faces critical challenges: commercial Raney nickel electrodes exhibit insufficient catalytic activity, severe dissolution during intermittent renewable operations, and require energy-intensive fabrication processes. Here, we develop Ni 3 N/Ni heterostructured electrodes with enhanced adhesion and optimized morphology through induction heating and ammonia reduction. The electrodes demonstrate superior energy conversion performance with uniform morphology, enhanced hydrophilicity, and optimized gas management, resulting in enlarged electrochemical active surface area and reduced hydrogen evolution overpotential (η 100  = 141 mV). Single-cell evaluation reveals a current density of 585 mA/cm 2 at 1.8 V with operational stability exceeding 1500 h. Critically, nitridation enhances both catalytic activity and corrosion resistance, enabling reliable operation during frequent start-stop cycles. These findings address critical challenges in AWE and facilitate efficient integration between renewable energy and green hydrogen production.