A universal method to fabricate high-valence transition metal-based HER electrocatalysts and direct Raman spectroscopic evidence for interfacial water regulation

Zehua Wang; Xueru Chang; Renchao Deng; Kewen Ma; Xiao Wu; Yulu Xie; Hao Yang; M-Sadeeq Balogun; Jian Chen; Yu-Wen Hu

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2024.01.071

A universal method to fabricate high-valence transition metal-based HER electrocatalysts and direct Raman spectroscopic evidence for interfacial water regulation

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024 Apr 15:660:157-165. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.01.071. Epub 2024 Jan 14.

Authors

Zehua Wang¹, Xueru Chang¹, Renchao Deng¹, Kewen Ma¹, Xiao Wu¹, Yulu Xie¹, Hao Yang², M-Sadeeq Balogun³, Jian Chen⁴, Yu-Wen Hu⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry Technology and Resource Development, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
² School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry Technology and Resource Development, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China. Electronic address: yanghao@gxu.edu.cn.
³ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan Joint International Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Technology for Clean Energy Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China. Electronic address: balogun@hnu.edu.cn.
⁴ Instrumental Analysis and Research Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510725, China.
⁵ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan Joint International Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Technology for Clean Energy Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China. Electronic address: huyw@hnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38241864
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.01.071

Abstract

Valence modulation of transition metal oxides represents a highly effective approach in designing high-performance catalysts, particularly for pivotal applications such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in solar/electric water splitting and the hydrogen economy. Recently, there has been a growing interest in high-valence transition metal-based electrocatalysts (HVTMs) due to their demonstrated superiority in HER performance, attributed to the fundamental dynamics of charge transfer and the evolution of intermediates. Nevertheless, the synthesis of HVTMs encounters considerable thermodynamic barriers, which presents challenges in their preparation. Moreover, the underlying mechanism responsible for the enhancement in HVTMs still needs to be discovered. Hence, the universal synthesis strategies of the HVTMs are discussed, and direct Raman spectroscopic evidence for intermediates regulation is revealed to guide the further design of the HVTM electrocatalysts. This work offers new insights for facile designing of HVTMs electrocatalysts for energy conversion and storage through adjusting the reaction pathway.

Keywords: Electrocatalysis; High-valence transition metal; Hydrogen evolution reaction; In-situ Raman.