The role of manganese-based catalyst in electrocatalytic water splitting: Recent research and progress

Electrocatalytic water splitting is an effective way to produce hydrogen, which is considered as a promising strategy to solve energy crisis and promote energy conversion. But there is still a lack of stable and efficient catalyst. Transition metal (such as Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) compounds are considered as potential catalyst materials for electrocatalytic water splitting. Among them, manganese-based compounds have the characteristics of low price and abundant reserves. And manganese-based catalysts have attracted extensive attention of researcher due to their diversity of polyvalence and structure as well as morphology. It reviewed that the classification summary and modification method of manganese-based catalysts on the aspect of performance improvement of electrocatalytic water splitting. The classification and summary of manganese-based catalysts from the aspects of single atom and alloy, compound as well as compound composites are summarized in detail, and the current methods and strategies for improving catalytic performance are prominently introduced, emphasizing the regulation and optimization of the catalytic reaction by manganese-based compounds. Finally, in the last part of the review, the further experimental design strategies, the importance of advanced characterization methods and the future development direction of manganese-based catalysts are emphasized. Further understanding of the mechanism by which manganese-based catalysts improve performance will point the way for the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts for water splitting and other possible applications.