Recent Advances in Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Using Nanoparticles

• Published in: Chemical reviews Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 851 - 918
• Main Authors: Zhu, Jing, Hu, Liangsheng, Zhao, Pengxiang, Lee, Lawrence Yoon Suk, Wong, Kwok-Yin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 22-01-2020
• Subjects: Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Electrocatalysts; Electrolysis; Fossil fuels; Hydrogen; Hydrogen evolution reactions; Hydrogen fuels; Hydrogen production; Hydrogen-based energy; Morphology; Nanoparticles; Noble metals; Renewable resources; State-of-the-art reviews
• ISSN: 0009-2665; 1520-6890
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00248

Hydrogen fuel is considered as the cleanest renewable resource and the primary alternative to fossil fuels for future energy supply. Sustainable hydrogen generation is the major prerequisite to realize future hydrogen economy. The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as the vital step of water electrolysis to H2 production, has been the subject of extensive study over the past decades. In this comprehensive review, we first summarize the fundamentals of HER and review the recent state-of-the-art advances in the low-cost and high-performance catalysts based on noble and non-noble metals, as well as metal-free HER electrocatalysts. We systemically discuss the insights into the relationship among the catalytic activity, morphology, structure, composition, and synthetic method. Strategies for developing an effective catalyst, including increasing the intrinsic activity of active sites and/or increasing the number of active sites, are summarized and highlighted. Finally, the challenges, perspectives, and research directions of HER electrocatalysis are featured.