Review of Emerging Atomically Precise Composite Site‐Based Electrocatalysts

Abstract

AbstractAtomically precise composite site‐based catalysts with new electrocatalytic synergistic mechanisms and enhanced electrocatalytic activities have emerged as a frontier in the electrocatalysis community. This topical review focuses on the recent research advances of atomically precise metal composite sites‐based electrocatalysts. This work first demonstrates an overview of the configurations of atomically precise composite sites, including a discussion of the advanced methods employed for understanding the composite sites. The review then provides a comprehensive organization of the previously reported methodologies of synthesizing electrocatalysts with atomically precise composite sites. Representative case studies are provided, starting from the simple one‐step pyrolysis strategy to the species‐by‐species multi‐step pyrolysis strategy. Based on the preceding discussions of the catalyst materials, the review further discusses the unique electrocatalysis mechanisms raised by the composite sites, that are different from the routine single species sites. The electrocatalytic systems mainly involve the oxygen reduction reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, and carbon dioxide reduction reaction. The themes of this section include the true active center determination for composite sites and various types of electrocatalytic synergy mechanisms. Finally, critical unanswered questions and remaining challenges, as well as promising underexplored research directions are identified.