Recent advances of high-entropy electrocatalysts for water electrolysis by electrodeposition technology: a short review

• Published in: Rare metals 2024-06, Vol.43 (6), p.2371-2390
• Main Authors: Zhang, Han-Ming, Zhang, Shao-Fei, Zuo, Li-Hao, Li, Jia-Kang, Guo, Jun-Xia, Wang, Peng, Sun, Jin-Feng, Dai, Lei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electrocatalysts; Electrodeposition; Electrolysis; Energy; Energy conversion; Entropy; High entropy alloys; Hydrogen; Hydrogen evolution reactions; Hydrogen production; Hydroxides; Industrial applications; Iridium; Materials Engineering; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Mini Review; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Oxygen evolution reactions; Phosphides; Physical Chemistry
• ISSN: 1001-0521; 1867-7185
• DOI: 10.1007/s12598-024-02619-7

Hydrogen is considered as the promising energy carrier to substitute traditional fossil fuel, due to its cleanliness, renewability and high energy density. Water electrolysis is a simple and convenient technology for hydrogen production. The efficiency of water electrolysis for hydrogen production is limited by the electrocatalytic performances on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The exorbitant Pt- and Ir-/Ru-based electrocatalysts as optimal HER and OER electrocatalysts, respectively, restrict water electrolysis development. Recently, non-precious metal-based high-entropy electrocatalysts have exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activities and long-term stabilities for water electrolysis, as promising precious catalyst candidates. Therefore, the construction of the high-entropy electrocatalysts is vital to water electrolysis industry. Electrodeposition technology is an efficient method for the preparation of high-entropy electrocatalysts due to its simple, fast, energy-saving and environmental-friendly advantages. Multi-component co-precipitation facilely occurs during the electroredox in electrodeposition processes. High-entropy alloys, oxides, (oxy)hydroxides, phosphides and phosphorus sulfide oxides have been successfully prepared by galvanostatic, potentiostatic electrodeposition, cyclic voltammetry, pulse, nanodroplet-mediated and cathodic plasma electrodeposition techniques. Hence, introduction of the development of high-entropy electrocatalysts synthesized by electrodeposition technology is significant to researchers and industries. Challenges and outlooks are also concluded to boost the industrial application of electrodeposition in water electrolysis and other energy conversion areas. Graphical abstract