Nanoring Structure Enables High-Performance Electrocatalysis

Electrocatalysis plays a pivotal role in sustainable energy conversion and storage, yet the development of high-performance, stable, and cost-effective catalysts remains a significant challenge. Nanoring-structured electrocatalysts have emerged as superior alternatives to conventional nanoparticles, offering unique geometric and electronic advantages including maximized atomic utilization, strain-modulated active sites, enhanced mass/electron transfer, and exceptional stability. This article systematically examines their structure-performance relationships through theoretical and in situ experimental insights, showcasing representative applications in key electrocatalytic reactions, such as the oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, alcohol oxidation reaction, CO₂ reduction reaction, and nitrate reduction reaction, where nanoring catalysts consistently outperform their nanoparticle counterparts. Finally, we further identify critical challenges in precise synthesis, stability mechanisms, and advanced characterization, providing guidance for designing more effective electrocatalysts toward sustainable energy applications.