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Non‐Noble Metal‐based Carbon Composites in Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: Fundamentals to Applications
Author(s) -
Wang Jing,
Xu Fan,
Jin Haiyan,
Chen Yiqing,
Wang Yong
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201605838
Subject(s) - noble metal , materials science , catalysis , water splitting , electrolysis of water , hydrogen , hydrogen production , carbon fibers , electrolyte , electrolysis , rational design , metal , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , composite material , metallurgy , composite number , chemistry , organic chemistry , photocatalysis , electrode , engineering
Hydrogen has been hailed as a clean and sustainable alternative to finite fossil fuels in many energy systems. Water splitting is an important method for hydrogen production in high purity and large quantities. To accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) rate, it is highly necessary to develop high efficiency catalysts and to select a proper electrolyte. Herein, the performances of non‐noble metal‐based carbon composites under various pH values (acid, alkaline and neutral media) for HER in terms of catalyst synthesis, structure and molecular design are systematically discussed. A detailed analysis of the structure‐activity‐pH correlations in the HER process gives an insight on the origin of the pH‐dependence for HER, and provide guidance for future HER mechanism studies on non‐noble metal‐based carbon composites. Furthermore, this Review gives a fresh impetus to rational design of high‐performance noble‐metal‐free composites catalysts and guide researchers to employ the established electrocatalysts in proper water electrolysis technologies.