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Structural Design and Electronic Modulation of Transition‐Metal‐Carbide Electrocatalysts toward Efficient Hydrogen Evolution
Author(s) -
Gao Qingsheng,
Zhang Wenbiao,
Shi Zhangping,
Yang Lichun,
Tang Yi
Publication year - 2019
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.201802880
Subject(s) - materials science , heteroatom , nanotechnology , transition metal , carbide , water splitting , electronic structure , doping , nanostructure , noble metal , metal , catalysis , computational chemistry , chemistry , optoelectronics , metallurgy , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , ring (chemistry) , biochemistry
As the key of hydrogen economy, electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) depend on the availability of cost‐efficient electrocatalysts. Over the past years, there is a rapid rise in noble‐metal‐free electrocatalysts. Among them, transition metal carbides (TMCs) are highlighted due to their structural and electronic merits, e.g., high conductivity, metallic band states, tunable surface/bulk architectures, etc. Herein, representative efforts and progress made on TMCs are comprehensively reviewed, focusing on the noble‐metal‐like electronic configuration and the relevant structural/electronic modulation. Briefly, specific nanostructures and carbon‐based hybrids are introduced to increase active‐site abundance and to promote mass transportation, and heteroatom doping and heterointerface engineering are encouraged to optimize the chemical configurations of active sites toward intrinsically boosted HER kinetics. Finally, a perspective on the future development of TMC electrocatalysts is offered. The overall aim is to shed some light on the exploration of emerging materials in energy chemistry.