The past several years have witnessed great progress in electrocatalytic applications of transition-metal-based materials through electronic modulation resulting from d-d and d-p orbital coupling. Newly developed rare-earth-based materials with specific 4f orbital occupancy also reveal a significant function of electronic modulation in enhanced electrocatalytic activity, whereas there is a shortage of systematic reviews reporting the most recent progress in electrocatalysis. This review provides a timely and comprehensive summary of major achievements regarding rare earth (RE)-based electrocatalytic materials to address future investigation directions. We start with a brief introduction of the development of RE-based electrocatalysts and their advantages in electrocatalysis. Then we systematically summarize various RE-based materials, including alloys, perovskites, hybrids, and single atoms, that have been developed over the last 5 years. Finally, challenges and perspectives are presented to expedite future progress and provide some research guidance for RE-based materials. 

Recent advances in rare-earth-based materials for electrocatalysis

Based on binuclear {Co2(COO)4} SBUs, a pillar-layered 3D (4,6)-connected {44·610·8}{44·62} fsc net, was constructed via a mixed ligand strategy. Electrocatalytic research showed that the 1@NF electrode shows better OER performance than RuO2@NF, reaching a current density of 10 mA cm−2 when the overpotential of OER is was 370 mV in a 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, with a Tafel slope of 15.6 mV dec−1. Moreover, the overpotential of HER of 246 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, with a Tafel slope of 23.1 mV dec−1, also suggested that the HER performance of 1@NF is better than that of Pt/C@NF. The durability test manifested that the electrocatalytic activity of 1@NF can be maintained at 92.8% after 12 h in 1.0 M KOH. Besides, luminescence sensing experiments reveal that 1 is an efficient chemosensor, which exhibits high sensitivity, high selectivity, and good recyclability towards the detection of Cr(VI) anions in water even in the presence of other interfering anions. The detection limits are as low as 3.42 × 10−6 M for the CrO42− anion and 2.96 × 10−7 M for the Cr2O72− anion. The electrocatalytic and luminescence sensing properties show that 1 is an excellent candidate for multifunctional materials in energy conversion and pollutant detection.

A pillar-layered binuclear 3D cobalt(II) coordination polymer as an electrocatalyst for overall water splitting and as a chemosensor for Cr(VI) anion detection

Efficient MOF- derived V–Ni3S2 nanosheet arrays for electrocatalytic overall water splitting in alkali

Recent Advances of CeO2-Based Electrocatalysts for Oxygen and Hydrogen Evolution as well as Nitrogen Reduction

Multifunctional electrocatalysts of nickel boride nanoparticles for superior hydrogen oxidation and water splitting

Polyoxometalate/metal–organic framework hybrids and their derivatives for hydrogen and oxygen evolution electrocatalysis

Heterostructural Co/CeO2/Co2P/CoP@NC dodecahedrons derived from CeO2-inserted zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

LnFeO3 (Ln=La, Nd, Sm) derived from bimetallic organic frameworks for gas sensor

Spontaneously engineering heterogeneous interface of silver nanoparticles on α-Co(OH)2 for boosting electrochemical oxygen evolution

Interface Engineering and Phase Regulation in CoP/CePO4 Heterostuctures for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis

Zi-Hao Wang

Papers

Polyoxometalate/metal–organic framework hybrids and their derivatives for hydrogen and oxygen evolution electrocatalysis

Heterostructural Co/CeO2/Co2P/CoP@NC dodecahedrons derived from CeO2-inserted zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

LnFeO3 (Ln=La, Nd, Sm) derived from bimetallic organic frameworks for gas sensor

Spontaneously engineering heterogeneous interface of silver nanoparticles on α-Co(OH)2 for boosting electrochemical oxygen evolution

Interface Engineering and Phase Regulation in CoP/CePO4 Heterostuctures for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis