Research progress on surface reconstruction of transition metal sulfides (TMS, M=Fe, Co, Ni) as precatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

Electrochemical decomposition of water to produce hydrogen is an ideal clean fuel that promises to solve problems such as energy depletion and environmental pollution. Transition metal sulfides(TMS M = Fe, Co, Ni) have been widely explored and studied for their potential in oxygen evolution reactions (OER). However, due to their thermodynamic instability, surface reconstruction inevitably occurs during the OER process, forming oxides or (oxygen) hydroxide active species in situ. This process poses a great challenge to reveal the true active sites and the reaction mechanism. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of the catalyst surface reconstruction process is essential for the design of efficient catalysts. To this end, we want to explore the following issues, (1) determine the catalyst activity origin and structural evolution process, (2) clarify the reconstruction mechanism and establish the conformational relationships (3) manipulate the in situ catalyst surface reconstruction through rational modulation strategies. In this review, we summarize and discuss the recent progress of TMS as OER precatalysts, revealing the catalyst reconstruction behavior based on in situ operation techniques, DFT calculations, highlighting the most effective strategies to adjust TMS surface reconstruction.It provides a more comprehensive understanding of the surface reconstruction of TMS, as well as reference for the design and optimization of efficient and stable catalysts.