As a secondary energy with great commercialization potential, hydrogen energy has been widely studied due to the high calorific value, clean combustion products and various reduction methods. At present, the blueprint of hydrogen energy economy in the world is gradually taking shape. Compared with the traditional high-energy consuming methane steam reforming hydrogen production method, the electrocatalytic water splitting hydrogen production stands out among other process of hydrogen production owning to the mild reaction conditions, high-purity hydrogen generation and sustainable production process. Basing on current technical economy situation, the highly electric power cost limits the further promotion of electrocatalytic water splitting hydrogen production process. Consequently, the rational design and development of low overpotential and high stability electrocatalytic water splitting catalysts are critical toward the realization of low-cost hydrogen production technology. In this review, we summarize the existing hydrogen production methods, elaborate the reaction mechanism of the electrocatalytic water splitting reaction under acidic and alkaline conditions and the recent progress of the respective catalysts for the two half-reactions. The structure–activity relationship of the catalyst was deep-going discussed, together with the prospects of electrocatalytic water splitting and the current challenges, aiming at provide insights for electrocatalytic water splitting catalyst development and its industrial applications. 

Perspective of hydrogen energy and recent progress in electrocatalytic water splitting

Surface chemical reconstruction of hierarchical hollow inverse-spinel manganese cobalt oxide boosting oxygen evolution reaction

Electron accumulation enables Bi efficient CO2 reduction for formate production to boost clean Zn-CO2 batteries

The extensive consumption of fossil fuels has caused the rapid increase in the CO2 level in the atmosphere, forcing people to find a clean and efficient technology of CO2 conversion to alleviate CO2 emissions and develop value-added products. Among various CO2 conversion systems, electroreduction of CO2 to value-added chemicals is a feasible way for practical applications. Copper, the only metal that can catalyze CO2 reduction to multi-carbon products, has attracted the most attention among various catalysts. However, slow reaction kinetics, low product selectivity, as well as poor stability are the main drawbacks of single metallic Cu-based catalysts. Such issues can be addressed by introducing second metal in Cu-based catalysts. Here, we summarize the recent progress relating to the Cu-based bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction, and discuss the composition and structure effects on the activity and selectivity of electrochemical CO2 reduction. Last, we outline the challenges and perspectives on electrocatalysts for this field. We expect that this review can provide new insights into the further development of Cu-based bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction.

Fei Li

Papers

Cu-Based Bimetallic Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction