Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Recent Advances in Transition Metal-Based Catalysts and Strategies for Promoting Alkaline Water Electrolysis
Jian Zhu1, Bing-Xin Lei1, Zhao-Qing Liu2,3
1School of Materials and Environment, Guangxi Minzu University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials and Carbon Neutralization, Guangxi Engineering Research Center for Advanced Materials and Intelligent Manufacturing, University of Nanning, Guangxi, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Hydrogen has been regarded as one of the most promising energy carriers, which enables the reduction of reliance on conventional fossil fuels. However, the sluggish kinetics of the electrochemical water electrolysis under alkaline conditions has proposed great challenges for the production of hydrogen on a large scale. In particular, both the thermodynamic energy demand, reflected by enthalpy changes, and the kinetic barriers of water dissociation strongly influence the overall efficiency of the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). On the one hand, the underlying mechanism of alkaline HER is still under debate. On the other hand, the catalysts that display exceptional electrocatalytic activity in acid media may experience incompatibility with the oxygen evolution reaction catalysts that usually determine the overall water electrolysis. Herein, we first introduced the state of the art of catalysts developed in recent years. Then, we summarized and highlighted how the electrocatalytic performance of transition metal catalysts could be improved by composition and structure engineering strategies such as alloying, heteroatom doping, constructing heterostructure/interface, regulating the microenvironment of single-atom sites, and supporting effects. Finally, a summary and outlook were made. This review may provide insightful information for the future development of alkaline catalysts.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Aldehydes and Ketones with Water: Hydrate Formation
The formation of hydrates is a reversible reaction. Hydrate formation is influenced by steric and electronic factors accompanying the alkyl substituents on the carbonyl group: The rate of hydrate formation increases with a decrease in the number of alkyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon. Hence,...
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the surface of...
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.

