Opportunities and Challenges of Interface Engineering in Bimetallic Nanostructure for Enhanced Electrocatalysis

TLDR

Bimetallic catalysts engineered at interfaces are intensively studied because they can tune intermediate adsorption, control electron and mass transport, prevent aggregation, and serve as advanced promoters for highly efficient electrocatalysts. The paper outlines recent interfacial engineering studies for high‑efficiency bimetallic electrocatalysts and discusses challenges and future perspectives. The authors review how interfacial engineering enhances activity, selectivity, and stability, and describe synthetic approaches for metal/metal, metal/metal‑compound, and metal/support interfaces applied to HER, OER, ORR, and CO₂ electroreduction.

Abstract

Abstract The development of bimetal based catalysts via interfacial engineered strategy has been intensively explored due to its great potential for enhancing the electrochemical performance. The significant progress achieved by the interfacial engineering is mainly derived from its great ability on tuning the intermediate adsorption, controlling the electron and mass transportation, preventing catalysts from serious aggregation, as well as providing advanced promoter for the rational design of highly efficient catalysts. Here, the recent works on the interfacial engineered strategy for developing highly efficient bimetal based electrocatalysts are outlined. The advantages of interfacial engineered strategy on manipulating the activity, selectivity, and stability of catalysts are first discussed. The recent synthetic approaches for controlling the interface structures and the related hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, and electroreduction of carbon dioxide are elaborated based on three major categories, involving metal/metal, metal/metal compound, and metal/support interfaces. Challenges and perspectives of this field are represented in the final section.