Revealing the core role of manganese dioxide catalyst in water electrolysis and batteries

1. New energy: the green engine of modern society
New energy (such as solar energy, wind energy, and hydrogen energy) is gradually replacing fossil fuels and becoming the core of global energy transformation. Its contribution is mainly reflected in three aspects:
Reducing carbon emissions: New energy power generation is almost zero pollution, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, hydrogen combustion only produces water, which is an ideal clean energy.
Energy security: Get rid of dependence on oil and coal and reduce geopolitical risks.
New economic momentum: The new energy industry chain (such as batteries and electrolyzers) has created a large number of jobs and promoted technological innovation and industrial upgrading.
Take hydrogen energy as an example. The global annual output has exceeded 100 million tons, and it is expected to provide zero-carbon power for transportation and industry in the future. However, how to produce hydrogen at low cost and high efficiency is still a challenge, and the emergence of manganese dioxide catalysts provides new ideas.
2. Manganese dioxide catalyst: "accelerator" of new energy
Manganese dioxide (MnO₂) is a natural mineral. Its unique chemical structure makes it a "versatile" in the field of new energy. The core principles are as follows:
Structural adjustability: Manganese dioxide has a variety of crystal forms such as α, β, and γ. By adjusting the arrangement of lattice oxygen (such as planar coordination or triangular pyramid coordination), the electron transfer path can be optimized and the catalytic activity can be improved.
Low cost and high efficiency: Compared with precious metals such as platinum, manganese dioxide is cheap and abundant in reserves. For example, the hydrogen evolution efficiency of manganese dioxide catalyst loaded with ruthenium (Ru) in seawater electrolysis is close to that of platinum, but the cost is reduced by 80%.
Environmental adaptability: Some manganese dioxide catalysts remain stable in acidic or high humidity environments and are suitable for complex working conditions (such as seawater electrolysis and battery cycling).
III. New energy applications: from laboratory to real-life scenarios
1. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water: breaking the bottleneck of "green hydrogen"
Traditional water electrolysis relies on pure water and is costly. Manganese dioxide catalysts can be directly used for seawater electrolysis:
Principle: Catalysts accelerate the decomposition of water molecules into hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂). For example, the hydrogen evolution overpotential of ruthenium-loaded α-MnO₂ in alkaline seawater is only 35mV, and its efficiency is comparable to that of commercial platinum catalysts.
Advantages: Abundant seawater resources, combined with wind power and photovoltaics, can achieve all-weather hydrogen production, reducing costs by more than 30%.
2. Zinc-air battery: a new choice for energy storage
Zinc-air battery has the characteristics of high energy density and good safety, but the traditional catalyst is not active enough. Crystalline/amorphous mixed manganese dioxide solves this problem:
Performance improvement: The mixed structure can activate lattice oxygen, improve the efficiency of oxygen reduction reaction, extend the battery cycle life to more than 17 days, and increase energy utilization by 40%.
Application prospects: Suitable for grid energy storage and electric vehicles, and promote large-scale grid connection of renewable energy.
IV. Future Outlook: Catalyst Technology Empowers Carbon Neutrality
Material Innovation: Combined with single-atom technology (such as iron and cobalt loading), further improve catalytic efficiency.
Resource Recycling: Use industrial waste slag (such as electrolytic manganese slag) to prepare catalysts to achieve "turning waste into treasure".
Intelligent application: Optimize catalyst design through AI, shorten the R&D cycle, and accelerate industrialization.
Conclusion

The combination of new energy and manganese dioxide catalysts is injecting strong momentum into the global green transformation. From clean hydrogen production to efficient energy storage, this "black technology" brings us one step closer to the goal of carbon neutrality. In the future, with technological breakthroughs and policy support, new energy will surely reshape the relationship between humans and energy and open a new chapter of sustainable development!

author：Hazel
date:2025-05-21