Engineering transition metal-based nanomaterials for high-performance electrocatalysis

Transition metal (TM) based electrocatalysts attract increasing attention in energy conversion reactions, and current effects focus on material engineering strategies to tailor physicochemical properties of TM based electrocatalysts for improved performance. This review provides a summary about the recent advances of engineering TM based nanomaterials for electrocatalytic reactions, which include hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), and nitrate reduction reaction (NO3−RR). We highlight four engineering strategies, namely, size engineering, facet engineering, composition engineering, and crystal structure engineering for TM based electrocatalysts, and pay a special emphasis on exploring the relationship between their physicochemical properties and catalytic activities. We outline the opportunities in this research field, in particular, the strategy of rationally combining in-situ and operando techniques and theoretical predication to design efficient electrocatalysts. Finally, issues that deserve attention and consideration for practical applications are discussed.