Translating mechanistic insights into industrially relevant performance for alkaline hydrogen evolution

Alkaline water electrolysis enables low-cost hydrogen production with non-precious catalysts but suffers from sluggish water dissociation and complex interfacial proton transport. In this perspective, we first summarize how catalyst design strategies are guided by an expanding set of mechanistic insights, including reaction pathway modulation, interface engineering, and microenvironment control—to enhance intrinsic activity at the active site. We then address the principal barrier to implementation: the evaluation challenge, where catalysts that show promise under simplified, low-current-density laboratory conditions often fail when subjected to the harsh, high-current-density environment of an industrial stack. This work argues that bridging these 'active sites to stacks' divide necessitates a methodological shift toward harmonized, device-relevant benchmarking to create a reliable feedback loop between catalyst design and practical application. Adopting this integrated approach is essential for accelerating the deployment of durable, high-performance catalysts capable of achieving scalable, cost-effective hydrogen production.