Recent advances in core–shell structured noble metal-based catalysts for electrocatalysis

The novel generation of clean energy has captured substantial public interest as the ecological environment deteriorates and fossil energy sources become depleted, with electrochemical catalysis deemed essential to the progress of clean energy technologies. Core–shell nanocomposite materials exhibit excellent chemical erosion resistance and effectively mitigate issues such as nanoparticle aggregation and sintering. Therefore, core–shell electrocatalysts demonstrate considerable advantages, such as enhanced activity and stability, making them widely applicable in electrocatalysis. This review offers an extensive summary of the latest advances, techniques, and applications of core–shell noble metal-based catalysts in electrocatalysis, encompassing a diverse range of synthesis techniques and strategies designed to fine-tune electrocatalytic performance. The article presents techniques such as seed-mediated growth, electrodeposition, template synthesis, and self-assembly and further delves into control strategies for enhancing electrocatalytic performance via case studies, examining electronic and geometric effects, with the former broken down into strain and ligand effects. Next, the article focuses on the remarkable progress achieved by noble metal-based core–shell structures in enhancing the efficiency of key electrocatalytic reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR). Finally, the primary challenges and future prospects in this field are discussed, offering insight that will inform further research and development efforts. The primary objective of this review is to illuminate the design and construction of novel core–shell noble metal-based catalysts for energy storage and conversion technologies.

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