Electrochemical
water splitting technology for producing hydrogen
is important for the sustainable energy development and the global
mission of carbon neutrality. Electrocatalysts with decent performance
under high current densities play a crucial role in the industrial
implementation of this technology. The activity of electrocatalysts
has been intensively pursued and much progress has been achieved over
the past decades. However, the stability of electrocatalysts under
high current densities remains challenging and suffers from insufficient
attention. Therefore, a timely review to focus on the stability issue
of water-splitting catalysts toward industrial application is necessary.
Here, the review starts with a discussion of the destabilizing factors
and the stability-related characterization means. Then the long-term
durabilities of electrocatalysts for alkaline electrolyte, acidic
electrolyte and seawater electrolysis are summarized, based on which
the design strategies of highly efficient and stable electrocatalysts
are proposed. To bridge the gaps between laboratory and industrial
development of water-splitting electrocatalysts, the challenges and
perspectives on future directions are provided in the end.