Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2024, Vol. 56: 51-73.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64569-3

• Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Enhancing the performance of platinum group metal-based electrocatalysts through nonmetallic element doping

Yiping Li, Tanyuan Wang(), Zhangyi Yao, Qi’an Chen, Qing Li()   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
  • Received:2023-09-01 Accepted:2023-11-16 Online:2024-01-18 Published:2024-01-10
  • Contact: *E-mail: wangty@hust.edu.cn (T. Wang), qing_li@hust.edu.cn (Q. Li).
  • About author:Tanyuan Wang is currently an associate professor of School of Materials Science and Engineering in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Peking University in 2015 and worked as a visiting scholar at Stanford University from 2017 to 2018. His research interests are electrocatalysis and nanomaterials synthesis.
    Qing Li is a professor of School of Materials Science and Engineering in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Peking University in 2010 and then worked as a postdoctoral research associate consecutively at Los Alamos National Laboratory (2011-2013) and Brown University (2013-2015). He joined HUST as a full professor in 2016. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed papers. His research interests include functional nanomaterials and their applications in electrocatalysis, PEM fuel cells and batteries.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(22122202);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22072051);National Natural Science Foundation of China(21972051);Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(YCJJ20230101)

Abstract:

abstract: Platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts have been well recognized as one of the best catalysts towards energy conversion and storage devices, such as fuel cells and water electrolyzers. Nevertheless, their commercial applications are strictly limited by the unsatisfactory catalytic activity and stability. Recently, nonmetallic (H, B, C, N, P, S, etc.) atoms doping is explored to be an efficient strategy to optimize the catalytic activity and durability of PGM-based catalysts via precisely electronic and coordination structure modulation, thus arising tremendous attention. However, systematical discussions on this topic is still lacking. In this review, the representative progresses of nonmetal elements doped PGM-based electrocatalysts for different electrocatalytic reactions are summarized. Firstly, this review discusses the key factors that affect the activity and stability of the catalysts, and introduces the basic principles of nonmetal-doping for improving the performance of PGM-based catalysts. Secondly, advanced characterization techniques and theoretical calculations are highlighted respectively for revealing the activity enhancement mechanism. Then the synthesis methods to incorporate the nonmetals are listed, intending to provide inspirations for the future design of materials. The promising modification strategies for tuning the active species are further proposed. Afterwards, an overview of nonmetal-doped PGM-based catalysts is provided for the electrocatalytic applications, with an emphasis on revealing the structure-performance relationship. Finally, further developments and challenges involving synthesis, mechanism analysis, new materials as well as reactions, stability issues and practical applications are outlined, aiming to promote the in-depth research on advanced PGM-based catalysts.

Key words: Electrocatalysis, Nonmetal doping, Platinum group metal-based catalyst, Oxygen reduction, ydrogen evolution