Achievements and Challenges in Carbon-Free Dual-Atom Catalysts for Electrocatalysis

Carbon-free dual-atom catalysts (CFDACs) are beginning to make their presence in the field of electrocatalysis due to their unique properties and structures that are different from those of carbon-based DACs, which are endowed with different activity, selectivity, and stability. Currently, some advances are made in the study of CFDACs, including structure-performance relationships of metal-support interaction, theoretical study combined with experiments, electrocatalytic applications with potential catalytic mechanisms, and design strategies to achieve highly active electrocatalytic performance. Herein, the perception of the structure-performance relationships of CFDACs is first elaborated in terms of carbon-free substrates and dual-atom sites, then briefly summarizes advanced characterization techniques, theoretical study, and energy storage and conversion applications, and highlights the strategies to realize the design of high-performance CFDACs in terms of vacancy anchoring, strain regulation, and alloying, and finally put forward the personal viewpoints on the current challenges and future development of CFDACs.