Spin Engineering of Transition Metal Oxides: An Emerging Platform in the Electrocatalysis Realm

Abstract Electrocatalysis technology provides crucial support for the modern green energy technologies. Notably, the necessity for spin flipping in specific reactions and the inherent exotic sensitivity to the magnetic field render the spin degree increasingly appealing in future electrocatalysis research. Inspired by this point, recent advancements of spin engineering in electrocatalysis employing transition metal oxide (TMO) catalysts were summarized and discussed. Both spin state engineering and spin order engineering, along with the spin-related or the non-spin-related effects, were elaborated in conjunction with the modification of TMO catalyst species. Impact of spin on the catalytic performance modification was elaborated in different electrocatalysis reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, carbon dioxide reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, and nitrate reduction reaction. Furthermore, future outlooks for spin engineering in TMO catalysts were presented from the perspectives of in situ characterization, high-entropy oxides, and bifunctional electrocatalysis, together with the spintronics frontier. This review aims to provide a timely and straightforward insight into the future spin-modulated electrocatalysis development from both spintronics and material prospects.