Progress of Amorphous Catalysts for an Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Liaokuo Wei, Fulin Yang, Weiwei Cai, Ligang Feng
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The pursuit of efficient and durable electrocatalysts for an acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial to advancing proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) toward sustainable hydrogen production. Amorphous catalysts, with their short-range order and long-range disorder, offer significant advantages over crystalline counterparts, such as abundant active sites and adaptive reconstruction capabilities. In light of the significant advances in amorphous materials for acidic OER electrocatalysis, herein, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of the fundamental principles, synthetic methodologies, and catalytic innovations in this rapidly evolving field. First, fundamental structural and mechanistic differences between amorphous and crystalline materials are analyzed, highlighting how amorphous structures enhance charge transfer and reaction kinetics. Subsequently, the typical synthetic methods for amorphous catalysts are categorized, emphasizing the precise control over metastable amorphous phases. Recent advances in both noble-metal-based and non-noble-metal-based amorphous catalysts are then discussed, highlighting performance in acidic electrolytes and the impact of regulation strategies. Finally, current challenges are outlined, including scalable precise synthesis, atomic-scale active site identification, surface reconstruction visualization, and industrial PEMWE validation. This review offers a roadmap for designing high-performance amorphous electrocatalysts toward an acidic OER in PEMWE.