Structural design and application of fiber-based electrocatalytic materials
Significance One-dimensional fiber materials have emerged as promising advanced electrode materials due to their excellent mechanical strength,large surface area,high electrical conductivity,tunable composition/morphology,and structural stability.Recently,significant research interest has focused on constructing fiber electrocatalysts with abundant accessible active sites and efficient mass diffusion capabilities for effective electrochemical energy conversion and electrocatalysis reactions.Fiber materials can serve both as carriers for coupling metal catalysts and as direct catalytic active substances.By regulating the mor-phology,structure,and composite mode of fibers and catalysts,catalytic reactions can be optimized.Progress This article provides a detailed summary of the structural design of fiber-based electrocatalysts,including electrocata-lytic fibers with intrinsic active sites and supportive fibers for catalyst loading.The precise control of these architectures to meet the requirements of specific electrocatalytic reactions is critically discussed.It discusses the applications of different fiber-based electrocatalysts across various catalytic reactions.Specifically,the paper reviews different fibrous structures such as inorganic fibers,heteroatom-doped carbon fibers,single-atom anchored carbon fibers,embedded structures,and loaded structures,exploring the relationship between structure and catalytic performance.One-dimensional fiber is a versatile and powerful mate-rial,and a deep understanding of its components and structural properties is pivotal in guiding the selection and advancement of fiber electrocalysts for electrocatalysis applications.Conclusions and Prospects Despite these advancements,some challenges and critical issues remain in developing efficient fiber-based electrocatalysts.In terms of structural design,when fibers are directly used as electrocatalytic active substances,the intrinsic activity of active sites can be improved by adjusting the composition of inorganic fibers or the local coordination con-figuration of carbon fibers.Constructing a continuous fiber skeleton with high porosity and a large surface area is beneficial for fully exposing active sites.When fibers serve as catalyst carriers,metal catalysts are anchored on or within the fiber matrix,rely-ing on the high surface area of the fibers to obtain dispersed active sites.By properly designing the composition,electronic struc-ture,and morphology of the fiber matrix and metal catalysts,as well as their composite structures,it is feasible to optimize dif-ferent reaction processes.In addition,it is necessary to mitigate the corrosion and aggregation of metal catalysts through reason-able interface design and to ensure intimate contact between the electrocatalyst and the fiber support.The contributions of different active substances to the electrocatalytic performance under real reaction conditions has not been thoroughly studied.The true active sites and exact catalytic mechanisms of fiber electrocatalysts remain unclear.Identifying the properties of active sites is crucial for designing efficient and multifunctional electrocatalysts.Density functional theory(DFT)is a powerful method for identifying active sites and predicting possible reaction intermediates,providing guidance for the struc-tural design of fiber electrocatalysts.Furthermore,it is important to explore in-situ real-time characterization techniques such as FTIR,Raman,synchrotron radiation,and atomic force microscopy to understand the structural evolution of active substances under real reaction conditions.Constructing integrated electrodes with high mechanical strength,high catalyst loading,and strongly coupled interfaces is desirable for achieving efficient and stable electrocatalysis.Nevertheless,due to the absence of polymer binder,forming a strong connection between the active material and fiber substrate to prevent shedding remains a pre-dominant challenge in fabricating integrated electrodes.As research progresses,fiber-based electrocatalysts are expected to play an indispensable role in the future market of renewable energy.
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