Journal of Energy Chemistry ›› 2023, Vol. 86 ›› Issue (11): 54-68.DOI: 10.1016/j.jechem.2023.06.034

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A review: Multi-hierarchy design strategy of electrocatalysts for energy molecule conversion

Chenjia Liang, Rurong Liu, Ruiyao Zhao, Xiaoxia Hou, Yingxuan Zhao, Jie Yang, Tao Wang, Teng Chen*, Weiping Ding*   

  1. Key Lab of Mesoscopic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
  • Received:2023-06-07 Revised:2023-06-27 Accepted:2023-06-27 Online:2023-11-15 Published:2023-11-07
  • Contact: *E-mail addresses: chentyp@nju.edu.cn (T. Chen), dingwp@nju.edu.cn (W. Ding).
  • About author:Chenjia Liang is, currently, pursuing for a doctor's degree at Nanjing University under the guidance by Professor Weiping Ding. His research interests focus on the novel design of electrocatalyst in mesoscale.
    Rurong Liu is currently a postgraduate student of School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University. Her supervisor is Professor Weiping Ding. At present, she focuses on the researches of high-energy mechanochemistry for electrocatalysts design.
    Ruiyao Zhao, received bachelor of science in Central South University in 2022, is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Nanjing University. Her research interests involve surface state regulation for methanol oxidation and hydrogen evolution reaction.
    Xiaoxia Hou is currently an instrument manager and Ph.D. student at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University. She received her master's degree from Nanjing University in 2015. Her research interests include the design of multi-level ordering structure for PEMFCs.
    Teng Chen is currently a post-doctor of School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University. He received his Ph.D. (2019) from Nanjing University with Profs. Yi Chen and Weiping Ding. His research interests involve catalytic materials in mesoscale for oxygen reduction reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction.
    Weiping Ding received his bachelor's and doctor's degrees from the Department of Chemistry, Nanjing University. He has engaged in postdoctoral research in the National Laboratory of Solid Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, as well as researched in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, and the Department of Chemistry and Biology, Harvard University, successively. He is currently a professor in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University and director of the Key Lab of Mesoscopic Chemistry. In recent years, his advocacy, about ‘‘Meso Catalysis” research, has achieved fruitful innovative results in hydrogenation, oxidation, acid catalysis, fuel cell catalysts, and electrocatalysis, which are being transferred to industrial applications.

Abstract: Under the new energy resource structure, electrocatalysts are key materials for the development of proton membrane fuel cells, electrolysis of aquatic hydrogen devices, and carbon dioxide reduction equipment, to address energy shortages and even environmental pollution issues. Although controlling the morphology or doping with heteroatoms for catalyst active centers have accelerated the reaction rate, it is difficult to solve the problems of multiple by-products, and poor stability of catalytic sites. From this, it will be seen that single regulation of metal active centers is difficult to comprehensively solve application problems. Orderly assembly and coordination of catalyst multi-hierarchy structures at the mesoscale above the nanometer level probably be more reasonable strategies, and numerous studies in thermal catalysis have supported this viewpoint. This article reviews the multi-hierarchy design of electrocatalyst active centers, high-energy supports, and peripheral structures in recent years, providing unconventional inspiration about electrocatalyst creation, which perhaps serves as a simple tutorial of electrocatalysis exploration for abecedarian.

Key words: Novel electrocatalysts, Energy molecular conversion, Multi-hierarchy design strategy