First-Row Transition Metal Electrocatalysts for Green Hydrogen Production via Water Electrolysis

The high energy consumption of modern society, pollution, and climate change caused by anthropogenic activities have led the scientific community to seek new clean, renewable, and carbon-free energy sources to replace fossil fuels. Green hydrogen produced by water electrolysis stands out as a strategic fuel for the energy transition. However, the sluggish kinetics, in particular of the oxygen evolution reaction, requires active and stable electrocatalysts to decrease the reaction overpotential and make the technology commercially viable. A major challenge is to produce electrocatalysts based on Earth-abundant elements as alternative to the highly active, scarce and expensive Noble-metals. This presentation will address the development of first-row transition metal-based electrocatalysts for green hydrogen generation through water electrolysis.