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Published on: June 21, 2017
Bioinspired metal complexes as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution: a systematic review
José Renato Gomes Lopes1, Larissa Chimilouski1, Fernando Roberto Xavier1
1Programa de pós-graduação em Química Aplicada, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Udesc) Joinville Brazil carla.dalmolin@udesc.br.
Bioinspired metal complexes show promise as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), enabling green hydrogen production. Engineering these catalysts can achieve high activity and stability, crucial for sustainable energy solutions.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Energy
Background:
- Growing environmental concerns from fossil fuel reliance necessitate sustainable energy alternatives.
- Green hydrogen production via water electrolysis is a key area for sustainable energy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review bioinspired metal complexes as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
- To analyze structural aspects, experimental conditions, and performance metrics of these catalysts.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines.
- Search conducted in the Web of Science database, analyzing 40 relevant articles.
- Investigation of catalyst structures, experimental parameters, electrochemical techniques, and performance indicators (overpotential, TOF, efficiency, stability).
Main Results:
- Bioinspired complexes with specific structures exhibit high catalytic activity for HER.
- Low overpotentials (<200 mV) and operational stability exceeding 100 hours were observed.
- Diverse architectures (mononuclear, heterobimetallic, hybrid) using metals like Co, Fe, Ni, Mo, W were analyzed.
Conclusions:
- Engineering bioinspired metal complexes is a viable strategy for advancing electrochemical catalysis in HER.
- Further research requires multidisciplinary approaches, standardized methodologies, and improved characterization for stability and selectivity under realistic conditions.
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