Recent Advances in Earth-Abundant Core/Noble-Metal Shell Nanoparticles for Electrocatalysis
Shuyan Gong, Yu‐Xiao Zhang, Zhiqiang Niu
Abstract
Electrocatalysis plays a central role in the development of clean energy technologies. The core–shell nanoparticle, which comprises a thin layer of catalytically active shell over a subsurface core, represents an important class of electrocatalysts. Although the internal core does not participate directly in catalysis, it influences the properties of the shell in terms of activity and stability. Furthermore, the usage of platinum-group metals (PGMs) can be greatly reduced when earth-abundant elements serve as the core materials. Thanks to these advantages, core–shell nanoparticles have attracted ever-increasing research interest. In this Perspective, we focus on recent advances of core–shell electrocatalysts constituted by earth-abundant cores and noble-metal shells. We start by discussing the factors that can influence the electrocatalytic properties of core–shell nanoparticles and move on to briefly summarize their synthetic strategies. We further discuss the core–shell electrocatalysts in terms of different core materials (low-PGM alloys, nonprecious metals, nitrides, carbides, and oxides) and showcase their electrocatalytic properties in reactions involved in water electrolysis and fuel cells. We conclude by discussing the general trends and challenges in this field.