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cobalt; iron; nickel; oxygen evolution reaction; water splitting
Abstract:
Water electrolysis that results in green hydrogen is the key process towards a circular economy. The availabilities of the sustainable electricity and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst are the main bottlenecks of the process for large-scale green hydrogen production. A broad range of OER electrocatalysts has been explored to decrease the overpotential and boost the kinetics of this sluggish half-reaction. Co, Ni, and Fe-based catalysts have been considered to be potential candidates to replace noble metals due to their tunable 3d electron configuration and spin state, versatility in the terms of crystal and electronic structures as well as abundance in nature. This review provides some basic principles of water electrolysis, key aspects of OER, and significant criteria for the development of the catalysts. It provides also some insights on recent advances of Co, Ni, and Fe-based oxides and a brief perspective on green hydrogen production and the challenges of water electrolysis.
