Asymmetric Mo–Ni atom pairs enable scalable water oxidation at industrial current densities

Accelerating the global transition to sustainable green hydrogen requires highly efficient and durable industrial water electrolysis. However, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction remains a critical bottleneck. Conventional nickel-based catalysts suffer from high overpotential or rapid degradation. Here we overcome this limitation by introducing asymmetric Mo–Ni atom pairs with a shortened interatomic distance of 2.85 Å. This unique structural configuration enables an oxide path mechanism with direct O–O coupling that bypasses traditional scaling relations. Consequently, the catalyst delivers exceptional durability for over 2,000 h at an industrially relevant current density of 3 A cm −2 . When integrated into a laboratory-scale anion-exchange membrane water electrolyser, the anode exhibits low cell voltages of 1.78–1.95 V at 2–3 A cm −2 , alongside more than 1,200 h of stable operation at 3 A cm −2 . To demonstrate commercial viability, we integrate the catalyst into a 71 cm 2 per cell anion-exchange membrane water electrolyser stack, achieving hydrogen production with >99% purity while slashing energy consumption and production costs by 10–17% compared with commercial benchmarks. We further establish a mass-production line for these oxygen evolution reaction electrodes, proving their scalable manufacturing viability and potential to drive cost-effective, zero-emission fuel production at an industrial scale.