Anion Vacancy Engineering in Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Abstract

Electrochemical water splitting is an eco‐friendly and sustainable energy conversion technology, while its large‐scale application is limited by the lack of efficient electrocatalysts. Notably, anion vacancy engineering, with functions of enhancing intrinsic activity, providing/increasing active sites, improving electrical conductivity, and strengthening stability, has been widely applied to boost the activity of electrocatalysts. In this review, we focus on anion vacancy engineering on electrocatalysts for water splitting. First, various synthesis strategies are introduced. Then the characterization techniques are classified and summarized into three catalogs: microscopy characterization, spectroscopy characterization, and theoretical studies. Lastly, the functions and challenges of anion vacancies in electrocatalysts for water splitting are briefly discussed.

Enhancing Electrocatalytic Performance for Overall Water Splitting using Hollow Structured Fe‐doped CoP with Phosphorus Vacancies

“…This result represents the increased electron density around the Fe atoms due to the partial elimination of phosphorus atoms and redistribution of the remaining electrons. [ 48 ] As presented in Figure 3b, the Co 2p core level spectra were deconvoluted into four major peaks centered at 778.5, 793.5, 781.8, and 798.0 eV, which correspond to the Co 2p 3/2 and Co 2p 1/2 of Co 3+ , and Co 2p 3/2 and Co 2p 1/2 of Co 2+ , respectively. [ 49,50 ] This observation indicates the formation of Co‐P chemical bonding through the thermal phosphidation process.…”

Strategies for local electronic structure engineering of two-dimensional electrocatalysts

“…With Ni,S-dual vacancies, the NiPS3 NSs exhibited a low overpotential of 124 and 290 mV, respectively, for HER and OER in a 1 mol L -1 KOH solution. Apart from the S vacancy, the O vacancy has also been widely recognized as a catalytically active site [137][138][139]. For example, the electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from CO2 and nitrate on InOOH with O vacancies (VO) was achieved by Lv et al [140].…”