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Ding J, Yang H, Zhang S, Liu Q, Cao H, Luo J, Liu X. Advances in the Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by Metal Nanoclusters-based Materials. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2204524. [PMID: 36287086 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202204524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
With the development of renewable energy systems, clean hydrogen is burgeoning as an optimal alternative to fossil fuels, in which its application is promising to retarding the global energy and environmental crisis. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), capable of producing high-purity hydrogen rapidly in electrocatalytic water splitting, has received much attention. Abundant research about HER has been done, focusing on advanced electrocatalyst design with high efficiency and robust stability. As potential HER catalysts, metal nanoclusters (MNCs) have been studied extensively. They are composed of several to a hundred metal atoms, with sizes being comparable to the Fermi wavelength of electrons, that is, < 2.0 nm. Different from metal atoms/nanoparticles, they exhibit unique catalytic properties due to their quantum size effect and low-coordination environment. In this review, the activity-enhancing approaches of MNCs applied in HER electrocatalysis are mainly summarized. Furthermore, recent progress in MNCs classified with different stabilization strategies, that is, the freestanding MNCs, MNCs with organic, metal and carbon supports, are introduced. Finally, the current challenges and deficiencies of these MNCs for HER are prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyang Ding
- Center for Electron Microscopy and Tianjin Key Lab of Advanced Functional Porous Materials, Institute for New Energy Materials & Low-Carbon Technologies, School of Materials, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Display Materials and Photoelectric Devices (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory for Photoelectric Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Shusheng Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610106, China
| | - Huanqi Cao
- Key Laboratory of Display Materials and Photoelectric Devices (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory for Photoelectric Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Jun Luo
- Center for Electron Microscopy and Tianjin Key Lab of Advanced Functional Porous Materials, Institute for New Energy Materials & Low-Carbon Technologies, School of Materials, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Xijun Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Non-Ferrous Metals and Materials, and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-Ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, School of Resource, Environments and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
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