carrier with an extremely high energy density (approximately 142 MJ kg −1 ) and zero-carbon content, has been regarded as a promising clean fuel. [1,2] In this context, electrochemical water splitting, which converts electricity into storable hydrogen, is a viable and efficient solution to mitigate severe energy shortages and greenhouse gas emissions. [3] Among these strategies, hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, which occur on the cathode and anode, respectively, in a water electrolyzer, are considered as two critical half-reactions of the water-splitting process. [4] Theoretically, water splitting requires a thermodynamic Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of approximately 237.2 kJ mol −1 , corresponding to a standard potential (ΔE) of 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which allows the thermodynamically uphill reaction to occur in the electrolyzer. [5] However, the unfavorable thermodynamics and resulting large overpotential are the main barriers to the scalable implementation of water electrolysis for hydrogen generation. [6,7] Currently, noble metal-based electrocatalysts exhibit the most efficient activity for water splitting, particularly Pt-based hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts and Ir/Ru-based oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts. [8,9] Nevertheless, the scarcity and high price of precious metals severely impede their widespread use in commercial water-splitting applications. Taking these limitations into Electrochemical water splitting has attracted significant attention as a key pathway for the development of renewable energy systems. Fabricating efficient electrocatalysts for these processes is intensely desired to reduce their overpotentials and facilitate practical applications. Recently, metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoarchitectures featuring ultrahigh surface areas, tunable nanostructures, and excellent porosities have emerged as promising materials for the development of highly active catalysts for electrochemical water splitting. Herein, the most pivotal advances in recent research on engineering MOF nanoarchitectures for efficient electrochemical water splitting are presented. First, the design of catalytic centers for MOF-based/derived electrocatalysts is summarized and compared from the aspects of chemical composition optimization and structural functionalization at the atomic and molecular levels. Subsequently, the fast-growing breakthroughs in catalytic activities, identification of highly active sites, and fundamental mechanisms are thoroughly discussed. Finally, a comprehensive commentary on the current primary challenges and future perspectives in water splitting and its commercialization for hydrogen production is provided. Hereby, new insights into the synthetic principles and electrocatalysis for designing MOF nanoarchitectures for the practical utilization of water splitting are offered, thus further promoting their future prosperity for a wide range of applications.
MetalN-coordinated centers supported by carbonaceous substrates have emerged as promising artificial metalloenzymes (AMEs) to mimic the biocatalytic effects of their natural counterparts. However, the synthesis of well-defined AMEs that contain different atomic metalN centers but present similar physicochemical and coordination structures remains a substantial challenge. Here, 20 different types of AMEs with similar geometries and welldefined atomic metalN-coordinated centers are synthesized to compare and disclose the catalytic activities, substrate selectivities, kinetics, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) products. Their oxidase (OXD)-, peroxidase (POD)-, and halogen peroxidase (HPO)-mimetic catalytic behaviors are systematically explored. The Fe-AME shows the highest OXD-and HPO-mimetic activities compared to the other AMEs due to its high v max (0.927 × 10 −6 m s −1 ) and low K m (1.070 × 10 −3 m), while the Cu-AME displays the best POD-like performance. Furthermore, theoretical calculation reveals that the ROS-catalytic paths and activities are highly related to the electronic structures of the metal centers. Benefiting from its facile adsorption of H 2 O 2 molecule and lower energy barrier to generating •O 2 − , the Fe-AME displays higher ROS-catalytic performances than the Mn-AME. The engineered AMEs show not only remarkably high ROS-catalytic performances but also provide new guidance toward developing metalN-coordinated biocatalysts for broad application fields.The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202200255.
Owing to their rich surface chemistry, high conductivity, tunable bandgap, and thermal stability, structured 2D transition‐metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (MXenes) with modulated atomic environments have emerged as efficient electrochemical energy conversion systems in the past decade. Herein, the most recent advances in the engineering of tunable structured MXenes as a powerful new platform for electrocatalytic energy conversion are comprehensively summarized. First, the state‐of‐the‐art synthetic and processing methods, tunable nanostructures, electronic properties, and modulation principles of engineering MXene‐derived nanoarchitectures are focused on. The current breakthroughs in the design of catalytic centers, atomic environments, and the corresponding structure–performance correlations, including termination engineering, heteroatom doping, defect engineering, heterojunctions, and alloying, are discussed. Furthermore, representative electrocatalytic applications of structured MXenes in energy conversion systems are also summarized. Finally, the challenges in and prospects for constructing MXene‐based electrocatalytic materials are also discussed. This review provides a leading‐edge understanding of the engineering of various MXene‐based electrocatalysts and offers theoretical and experimental guidance for prospective studies, thereby promoting the practical applications of tunable structured MXenes in electrocatalytic energy conversion systems.
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