Developing new methodologies to produce clean and renewable energy resources is pivotal for carbon-neutral initiatives. Hydrogen (H2) is considered as an ideal energy resource due to its nontoxic, pollution-free, high utilization rate, and high calorific combustion value. Electrolysis of water driven by the electricity generated from renewable and clean energy sources (e.g., solar energy, wind energy) to produce hydrogen attracts great efforts for hydrogen production with high purity. Recently, the breakthrough of the catalyst activity limit for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts has received extensive attention. Comparatively, fewer reviews have focused on the long-term stability of HER catalysts, which is indeed decisive for large-scale electrolytic industrialization. Therefore, a systematic summary concentrated on the durability of HER electrocatalysts would provide a fundamental understanding of the electrocatalytic performance for practical applications and offer new opportunities for the rational design of the highly performed HER electrocatalysts. This review summarizes the research progress toward the HER stability of precious metals, transition metals, and metal-free electrocatalysts in the past few years. It discusses the challenges in the stability of HER electrocatalysts and the future perspectives. We anticipate that it would provide a valuable basis for designing robust HER electrocatalysts. 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/inf2.12357

Recent progress on the long‐term stability of hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts

An emerging concept of “nanoarchitectonics” has been proposed as a way to apply the progress of nanotechnology to materials science. In the introductory parts, we briefly explain the progress in understanding materials through nanotechnology, the overview of nanoarchitectonics, the effects of nanoarchitectonics on the development of functional materials and devices, and outline of nanoarchitectonics intelligence as a main subject of this review paper. In the following sections, we explain the process of constructing intelligent devices based on atomic switches, in which the behavior of atoms determines the device functions, by integrating them with nanoarchitectonics. The contents are categorized into (i) basic operation of atomic switch, (ii) artificial synapse, (iii) neuromorphic network system, (iv) hetero-signal conversion, (v) decision making device, and (vi) atomic switch in practical uses. The atomic switches were originally relatively simple ON/OFF binary-type electrical devices, but their potential as multi-level resistive memory devices for artificial synapses and neuromorphic applications. Furthermore, network-structured atomic switches, which are complex and have regression pathways in their structure and resemble cranial neural circuits. For example, A decision-making device that reproduces human thinking based on a principle different from brain neural circuits was developed using atomic switches and proton-conductive electrochemical cells. Furthermore, atomic switches have been progressively developed into practical usages including application in harsh environments (e.g. high temperature, low temperature, space). Efforts toward information processing and artificial intelligence applications based on nanoarchitectonics tell remarkable success stories of nanoarchitectonics, linking the control of atomic motion to brain-like information control through nanoarchitecture regulations.

Nanoarchitectonics Intelligence with atomic switch and neuromorphic network system

Multiple electronic structure modification is propitious for constructing strong metal support interaction and then improving the electrocatalytic activity of supported catalysts, yet remain a great challenge due to the lack...

Simultaneous optimization of CoIr alloy nanoparticle and 2D graphitic-N doped carbon support in CoIr@CN by Ir doping for enhanced oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction

Promoted understanding of nanotechnology has enabled the construction of functional materials with nanoscale-regulated structures. Accordingly, materials science requires one-step further innovation by coupling nanotechnology with the other materials sciences. As a post-nanotechnology concept, nanoarchitectonics has recently been proposed. It is a methodology to architect functional material systems using atomic, molecular, and nanomaterial unit-components. One of the attractive methodologies would be to develop nanoarchitectonics in a defined dimensional environment with certain dynamism, such as liquid interfaces. However, nanoarchitectonics at liquid interfaces has not been fully explored because of difficulties in direct observations and evaluations with high-resolutions. This unsatisfied situation in the nanoscale understanding of liquid interfaces may keep liquid interfaces as unexplored and attractive frontiers in nanotechnology and nanoarchitectonics. Research efforts related to materials nanoarchitectonics on liquid interfaces have been continuously made. As exemplified in this review paper, a wide range of materials can be organized and functionalized on liquid interfaces, including organic molecules, inorganic nanomaterials, hybrids, organic semiconductor thin films, proteins, and stem cells. Two-dimensional nanocarbon sheets have been fabricated by molecular reactions at dynamically moving interfaces, and metal-organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks have been fabricated by specific interactions and reactions at liquid interfaces. Therefore, functions such as sensors, devices, energy-related applications, and cell control are being explored. In fact, the potential for the nanoarchitectonics of functional materials in two-dimensional nanospaces at liquid surfaces is sufficiently high. On the basis of these backgrounds, this short review article describes recent approaches to materials nanoarchitectonics in a liquid-based two-dimensional world, i.e., interfacial regions within a nanoscale distance from the liquid phase.

Ping Qin

Papers

Recent Progress and Perspective of Co-based Catalysts for Water Splitting: Design and Nanoarchitectonics