Regulation of electrocatalytic properties of high entropy alloy electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

With the rapid increase in demand for green hydrogen, the development of electrolytic water technology has been widely concerned. An efficient oxygen evolution catalyst provides the feasibility of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water. High entropy alloys (HEAs), usually solid solutions containing at least five major elements, have shown broad application potential in the field of the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution (OER) in recent years due to their ordered structure and tunability. At the same time, high entropy alloys are expected to solve the slow kinetics and various corrosion problems on the oxygen evolution side of electrocatalytic hydrogen production. However, developing efficient HEA electrocatalysts suitable for OER applications and understanding their catalytic mechanisms remain challenges. Therefore, this paper mainly reviews the characteristics of high entropy alloy materials and the regulation of electrocatalytic property methods, including element composition control, size and structural morphology control, strain, phase and defect engineering, etc. The relationship between the structure and electrocatalytic performance of HEA electrocatalysts is discussed in this paper. Finally, the key challenges and future opportunities for the OER of high entropy nanomaterials are discussed. We expect that this paper will stimulate more research on the development and improvement of HEA nanostructured electrocatalysts, explore their feasible and scalable preparation methods, and promote their wide application in the field of electrocatalysis.