A review on defect modulated electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for energy applications like water splitting and metal-air batteries.
• Improving OER electrocatalyst activity and stability is a key research focus, with defect engineering emerging as a powerful strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review defect-rich materials for enhanced electrochemical properties in OER applications.
• To focus on advancements in defect engineering for OER electrocatalysts over the past five years.
• To provide insights into designing high-performance OER electrocatalysts that rival noble-metal systems.

Main Methods:

• Overview of the OER catalytic mechanism.
• Analysis of defect types, synthesis methods, and their influence on electrochemical performance.
• Focus on defect engineering strategies for modulating material electronic structure.

Main Results:

• Defect engineering allows precise atomic-level control of electronic structure, leading to superior OER electrocatalytic properties.
• Defect-rich materials demonstrate enhanced activity and stability compared to conventional OER catalysts.
• Recent developments show significant progress in utilizing defect engineering for advanced electrocatalyst design.

Conclusions:

• Defect engineering is a highly effective strategy for developing advanced OER electrocatalysts.
• Rational design and synthesis of defect-rich materials are crucial for improving efficiency and longevity.
• High-performance OER electrocatalysts based on defect engineering can outperform noble-metal catalysts.