Emerging single-atom catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and water splitting: Recent advances

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy 2024-10, Vol.86, p.316-342
• Main Authors: Wei, Kunling, Pan, Keheng, Qu, Guangfei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CO2RR; HER; OER; SACs; Water splitting
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.07.407

The developing of electrocatalytic energy conversion technology to replace traditional energy sources is an important way of addressing the exhaustion of fossil fuels as well as related issues of the environment. The exploitation of the electro-catalysts having favorable electro-catalytic activity and stability is the key to realize these technologies. Single atomic catalysts (SACs) with the greatest atom availability and distinctive electronic structures and coordination environments are prospective candidate catalysts for application in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and water splitting. The intrinsic structures of the central sites of the SACs also vary with species or coordination environments, which provides a new way to engineer SACs for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and water splitting electrocatalysis. This paper reviews the recent advances of SACs in electro-catalytic CO2 reduction and water splitting in recent years. In addition, combining experiments and theories, this article also presents an outlining of the strategies of ligand junction environment modulation to improve the electrocatalytic performance. Finally, the main challenges facing current SACs are pointed out, and some possible development directions are suggested. •The advantages of atomic metal catalysts for electrocatalytic reactions are summarized.•Many advanced characterization techniques for SACs are presented.•Some methods for tuning the coordination environment of metal atoms are also demonstrated.•The perspective insights into the challenges and future directions are also provided.