Cost-effective Water Splitting Electrocatalysts Light Up the Clean Hydrogen Future

Achievement

Recently, Prof Xiong Wen (David) Lou (SCBE, NTU) and coworkers made an important research perspective and published their work in Advanced Functional Materials. They began with the introduction of some evaluation criteria for the OER with merits and demerits of each one, which is expected to provide benchmarking methodologies for a better comparison between different groups and institutes. Then they highlighted recent advancements on non-noble metal-based OER electrocatalysts with the classification of metals/alloys, oxides, hydroxides, chalcogenides, phosphides, phosphates/borates, and other compounds, along with their advantages and shortcomings. Subsequently, they summarised the current knowledge of the reaction mechanisms and practical applications of the OER for developing more efficient OER electrocatalysts. Finally, they provided some constructive discussions on the current states, challenges, and some perspectives for non-noble metal-based OER electrocatalysts for the fulfillment of future clean energy society.

Schematic illustration of the evaluation criteria, recent advancements of non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts, reaction mechanisms, and some practical applications of the oxygen evolution reaction.

References

Zhi-Peng Wu, Xue Feng Lu, Shuang-Quan Zang and Xiong Wen (David) Lou, “Non-Noble-Metal-Based Electrocatalysts toward the Oxygen Evolution Reaction”, Advanced Functional Materials 2020, 30(15), 1910274, DOI 10.1002/adfm.201910274.

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