Recent progress in transition metal single-atom-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction: Challenges and perspectives

The development of stable and exceptional hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts plays an essential role in decreasing the carbon footprint and keeping the planet green and salubrious. Fabrication of transition metal-single atoms (TM-SA) on various substrates, such as transition metal compounds and carbon materials, is a potential solution in advancing efficient electrodes for HER due to maximized atomic utilization, creating a synergistic effect, tunable electronic properties, and reduced metal loading. Their atomically dispersed active sites provide unique coordination environments and optimized adsorption energy of intermediates, enabling TM-SAs to outperform conventional electrocatalysts. This review presents the latest works on SA-based electrocatalysts for HER. We describe various pathways for HER, then explore the different fabrication processes of SA-based catalysts. Moreover, noble metals SA (Pt, Ru, Pd SA), non-noble metals SA (Co, Ni, Mo SA), and their combination related to electrocatalysts for HER are discussed. Ultimately, the specific limitations and future perspectives for advancing TM-SA-based HER electrocatalysts were manifested.

Link full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319926000698