Seawater Batteries: Innovative Energy Storage with Cost-Effective Catalysts
Graphic representation of a seawater battery and a schematic of the catalyst developed in the study. (Illustration: UNIST)
February 19, 2025 – Seawater batteries are emerging as the next generation of energy storage systems, efficiently storing and releasing electricity by utilizing seawater. The key to their large-scale commercialization lies in developing affordable and effective catalyst materials.
Researchers from South Korea’s UNIST research institute have announced a major breakthrough: a high-performance catalyst made from urea and lignin derived from wood waste. Traditionally, expensive precious metals like platinum are used as catalysts, but the UNIST team has developed an alternative using readily available and cost-effective materials. Lignin, a byproduct of paper and biofuel production, comprises 15 to 35 percent of wood, while urea, rich in nitrogen, is commonly found in industrial wastewater streams.
Their findings were published in Chemical Engineering Journal in February 2025 under the title ‘N-Doped Carbonized Lignin for Electrocatalysts in Seawater Batteries.’
