Insights into the interfacial effects in heterostructured catalysts toward electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial process in electrochemical storage and conversion devices, including water electrolysis for hydrogen production, zinc-air batteries, and fuel cells. OER encompasses complex mechanisms involving four-electron transfer steps, multi-step proton coupling, and the formation of O=O covalent bonds, all of which require substantial energy for the electrocatalyst to facilitate the reaction. Transition metal-based heterostructured catalysts exhibit stable and efficient catalytic activity for OER, benefiting from abundant resources, structural diversity, and unique synergistic effects, lattice distortion, and built-in electric field (BIEF) effects. To emphasize the importance of interfacial effects in enhancing electrocatalytic OER, we summarize recent advancements in engineering heterostructured catalysts aimed at promoting this reaction, with a particular focus on the distinctive impacts of interfacial interfaces. Furthermore, we discuss various applications of heterostructured catalysts that improve OER electrocatalysis, along with the underlying structure-activity relationships. Finally, we address the challenges and future perspectives in this fascinating field to provide insights into the design of more efficient OER electrocatalysts.