• • Optimized Ce-Co(OH)2 achieves an overpotential of 236 mV at 10 mA cm-2, outperforming undoped Co(OH)2 and many Ni-based catalysts, directly reducing energy consumption in alkaline electrolyzers.
• • The catalyst demonstrates 200 h of continuous operation at 10 mA cm-2 with negligible degradation, addressing the critical durability bottleneck that plagues transition metal hydroxide anodes.
• • In an AEMWE system, the Ce-Co(OH)2 anode delivers 2.04 V at 1 A cm-2 and sustains 500 h at 500 mA cm-2, meeting industrial current density requirements and demonstrating scalability for green hydrogen production.
• • Precise control of the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio via electrodeposition temperature (optimized at 40°C) enables dynamic electron buffering, preventing Co over-oxidation and structural collapse, a mechanism that can be generalized to other lanthanide-doped catalysts.