Process‐Engineered Hierarchical CoO <sub>x</sub> Nanowire/Nanosheet Architectures for Selective Chlorine Evolution, Continuous Mineral Extraction, CO <sub>2</sub> Capture, and Scaling Prevention in Brine Electrolysis
Directly grown CoO<sub>x</sub> nanowire/nanosheet architectures on phosphoric acid-treated Ti paper (P-Ti/CoO<sub>x</sub>) are developed as highly efficient and durable anode electrodes for selective chlorine evolution from desalination reject brine. The hierarchical CoO<sub>x</sub> architecture on the mechanically robust and corrosion-resistant Ti paper substrate enhances electron and ion transport, accelerates surface reactions, and suppresses competing oxygen evolution, resulting in efficient and highly selective chlorine production. This structure enables the P-Ti/CoO<sub>x</sub> electrode to achieve ∼93% faradaic efficiency in the chlorine evolution reaction (CER) while maintaining remarkable stability over 70 h of continuous operation. Electrochemical analyses reveal that the first electron transfer step (Cl<sup>-</sup> → Cl<sub>ads</sub> + e<sup>-</sup>) is rate-limiting, with surface-mediated processes dominating CER kinetics. Integration into a flow-cell device demonstrates simultaneous Cl<sub>2</sub> production, mineral extraction, and CO<sub>2</sub> capture from desalination reject brine over 50 h without electrode scaling or membrane fouling. These results strongly demonstrate that P-Ti/CoO<sub>x</sub> as a robust, high-performance anode capable of coupling Cl<sub>2</sub> generation with brine valorization and carbon mineralization, offering a practical approach for sustainable electrochemical resource recovery.
Authors
- Pitchai Thangasamy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-1964)
- Simon Choo Sze Shiong
- Yan Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5565-6814)
- Jiajian Gao
- Jia E Zheng
Institutions
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (SG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2025-12-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514132
- Primary Topic
- Advanced oxidation water treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00