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Recent progresses of micro-nanostructured transition metal compound-based electrocatalysts for energy conversion technologies

微纳结构过渡金属化合物能源转化电催化剂研究进展

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Abstract

The rapid consumption of fossil fuels has caused increasingly climatic issues and energy crisis, which leads to the urgent demand for developing sustainable and clean energies. Electrocatalysts play a key role in the development of electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. Especially, developing efficient and cost-effective catalysts is important for the large-scale application of these devices. Among various electrocatalyst candidates, earth abundant transition metal compound (TMC)-based electrocatalysts are being widely and rapidly studied owing to their high electrocatalytic performances. This paper reviews the recent and representative advances in efficient TMC-based electrocatalysts (i.e., oxides, sulfides, selenides, phosphides, carbides and nitrides) for energy electrocatalytic reactions, including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Different compounds with different applications are summarized and the relative mechanisms are also discussed. The strategies for developing earth-abundant and low-cost TMC-based electrocatalysts are introduced. In the end, the current challenges and future perspectives in the development of TMC research are briefly discussed. This review also provides the latest advance and outlines the frontiers in TMC-based electrocatalysts, which should provide inspirations for the further development of low-cost and high-efficiency catalysts for sustainable clean energy technologies.

摘要

化石能源的快速消耗已导致日益严重的气候问题与能源危机, 因此开发清洁绿色的可持续能源技术对人类社会的发展至关重要. 电化学能源转化与存储器件目前受到广泛关注, 而开发高效廉价的电催化剂则是该类技术发展的重中之重. 在多种电催化剂中, 过渡金属化合物由于其储量丰富、 性能优越而被广泛研究. 本文综述了包括氧化物、 硫化物、 硒化物、 磷化物、 碳化物及氮化物在内的微纳结构过渡金属化合物电催化剂的近期研究进展, 内容包括各类化合物的可控制备方法、 实际电催化应用(析氢、 析氧及氧还原)与相关反应机理; 同时讨论了该领域目前存在的挑战与进一步的发展策略. 本文意在介绍过渡金属基电催化剂的最新进展与研究前沿, 从而为进一步开发低成本、 高性能的清洁能源电催化剂提供参考与思路.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51804216 and 51972224), the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST (2018QNRC001) and Tianjin Natural Science Foundation (17JCQNJC02100). Wang J acknowledges the support from China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M661014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory of Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Jiajun Wang  (王嘉骏), Zhao Zhang  (张昭), Jia Ding  (丁佳), Cheng Zhong  (钟澄), Yida Deng  (邓意达), Xiaopeng Han  (韩晓鹏) & Wenbin Hu  (胡文彬)

  2. Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, China

    Wenbin Hu  (胡文彬)

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  1. Jiajun Wang  (王嘉骏)
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  2. Zhao Zhang  (张昭)
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  3. Jia Ding  (丁佳)
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  4. Cheng Zhong  (钟澄)
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  5. Yida Deng  (邓意达)
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  6. Xiaopeng Han  (韩晓鹏)
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  7. Wenbin Hu  (胡文彬)
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Contributions

Author contributions Wang J wrote the paper; Wang J and Zhang Z prepared the figures; Ding J, Zhong C and Deng Y revised the manuscript; Han X and Hu W provided the overall concept and revised the manuscript. All authors participated in the discussion.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiaopeng Han  (韩晓鹏) or Wenbin Hu  (胡文彬).

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Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Xiaopeng Han is an associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Tianjin University. He received his BSc from Tianjin University (2010) and PhD from Nankai University (2015), respectively. His current research interests focus on the synthesis and engineering of metal or metal-based functional materials for electrocatalysis and secondary high energy battery applications.

Wenbin Hu is a professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Tianjin University. He graduated from the Central South University with a BSc degree in 1988. He received his MSc degree from Tianjin University in 1991, and PhD degree from the Central South University in 1994. His research interests focus on the design, synthesis and characterization of advanced nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion applications.

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Wang, J., Zhang, Z., Ding, J. et al. Recent progresses of micro-nanostructured transition metal compound-based electrocatalysts for energy conversion technologies. Sci. China Mater. 64, 1–26 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1452-9

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