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Research Progress of Amorphous Catalysts in Field of Water Electrolysis AITranslate

Jing Zhao1,2; Xiaojie Zhang1,2; Shubao Wang1; Zhiguo You2,3; Shanshan Yang1
1.Qian'An College，North China University of Science and Technology，Tangshan 064400，China
2.Earthquake Engineering Research Center of Hebei Province，Tangshan 063210，China
3.College of Civil and Architectural Engineering，North China University of Science and Technology，Tangshan 063210，China
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Publisher: Youke Publishing Co., Ltd
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Abstract AITranslate

Under the dual pressures of energy crisis and climate change，it is crucial to develop alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Hydrogen，with its high calorific value，abundant reserves，and environmental friendliness，is regarded as an effective driving force for the decarbonization and transformation of the global energy system. Carbon neutrality demands carbon-free hydrogen production，which high lights the importance of water electrolysis. At present，green hydrogen accounts for only 4% of global industrial hydrogen consumption. It is crucial to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the cost of water electrolysis technology. Water electrolysis consists of the hydrogen evolution reaction （HER）that occurs at the cathode and the oxygen evolution reaction （OER）that occurs at the anode，but the high energy barrier and multiple electron/proton transfer lead to slow reaction kinetics. Precious metal electrocatalysts，such as Pt-based and Ru-based，are expensive and exhibit limited stability. Amorphous catalysts have demonstrated significant potential in the field of water electrolysis due to their unique short-range ordered，long-range disordered structures，along with abundant active sites and other advantages. Amorphous catalysts exhibit many significant advantages in the field of water electrolysis. The disorder of the amorphous structure leads to irregular atomic arrangement，thereby forming a large number of defects and unsaturated bonds on the surface，which become abundant active sites and greatly enhance the adsorption capacity of reactants. Whether in HER or OER，amorphous catalysts can more effectively adsorb key reactants，promote the progress of the reaction，reduce the reaction activation energy，and increase the reaction rate. Compared with traditional crystal catalysts，they can show better performance under the same conditions. It significantly reduces the voltage required for electrolyzing water and improves energy conversion efficiency. Based on this，this article mainly reviewed the research progress of amorphous catalysts in the field of water electrolysis，focusing on the modification of amorphous catalysts by component regulation and the classification of amorphous catalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction （HER）and oxygen evolution reaction （OER）. In terms of the modification of amorphous catalysts by component modulation，there were several important roles. Firstly，by introducing different elements for component regulation，the electronic structure of the amorphous catalyst could be optimized. The incorporation of metal elements with specific electronic configurations could adjust the electron cloud density distribution of the catalyst，thereby optimizing the adsorption energy of the reaction intermediates and improving the catalytic activity. At the same time，changes in the electronic structure could also affect the conductivity of the catalyst，promote the electron transfer process，and further improve the performance of water electrolysis. Secondly，component regulation could enhance the active sites of amorphous catalysts. The combination of different elements could form new chemical bonds and coordination environments，produce unique active sites，and enhance the catalytic effect on hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. In addition，reasonable component regulation could improve the stability of amorphous catalysts. Selecting elements with good chemical stability for doping could improve the corrosion resistance and dissolution resistance of the catalyst under harsh water electrolysis conditions. Moreover，component regulation could also optimize the structural stability of the catalyst，reduce structural changes and loss of active components during the reaction，and extend the service life of the catalyst. Next，the catalytic performance of different types of amorphous catalysts （including amorphous precious metal catalysts，amorphous transition metal catalysts，etc.）in the HER and OER in water electrolysis was briefly summarized. By analyzing the structures of different types of catalysts，their catalytic mechanisms in the electrolysis of water could be revealed，providing theoretical guidance for further design and improvement of amorphous catalysts. In general，although amorphous catalysts had unique advantages in catalytic performance，they still faced some challenges，which could be simply summarized as the problem of improving stability and the problem of precise regulation of active sites. Therefore，in response to these problems，we put forward the prospects for the future development of water electrolysis，mainly through structural engineering design，interface effect optimization，self-repair and dynamic regulation，multi-scale regulation strategies，research on the correlation between surface structure and catalytic activity，and research on synergistic effects and multifunctional sites. The aim was to provide a reference basis for further promoting the efficient application of amorphous catalysts in the field of water electrolysis and facilitating their wide application.

KeyWords AITranslate

amorphous catalysts component regulation water electrolysis classification of amorphous catalysts

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Basic Information:

DOI：10.13373/j.cnki.cjrm.XY24120017

Chinese Library Classification Number:TF803.21

Citation Information:

Under the dual pressures of energy crisis and climate change，it is crucial to develop alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Hydrogen，with its high calorific value，abundant reserves，and environmental friendliness，is regarded as an effective driving force for the decarbonization and transformation of the global energy system. Carbon neutrality demands carbon-free hydrogen production，which high lights the importance of water electrolysis. At present，green hydrogen accounts for only 4% of global industrial hydrogen consumption. It is crucial to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the cost of water electrolysis technology. Water electrolysis consists of the hydrogen evolution reaction （HER）that occurs at the cathode and the oxygen evolution reaction （OER）that occurs at the anode，but the high energy barrier and multiple electron/proton transfer lead to slow reaction kinetics. Precious metal electrocatalysts，such as Pt-based and Ru-based，are expensive and exhibit limited stability. Amorphous catalysts have demonstrated significant potential in the field of water electrolysis due to their unique short-range ordered，long-range disordered structures，along with abundant active sites and other advantages. Amorphous catalysts exhibit many significant advantages in the field of water electrolysis. The disorder of the amorphous structure leads to irregular atomic arrangement，thereby forming a large number of defects and unsaturated bonds on the surface，which become abundant active sites and greatly enhance the adsorption capacity of reactants. Whether in HER or OER，amorphous catalysts can more effectively adsorb key reactants，promote the progress of the reaction，reduce the reaction activation energy，and increase the reaction rate. Compared with traditional crystal catalysts，they can show better performance under the same conditions. It significantly reduces the voltage required for electrolyzing water and improves energy conversion efficiency. Based on this，this article mainly reviewed the research progress of amorphous catalysts in the field of water electrolysis，focusing on the modification of amorphous catalysts by component regulation and the classification of amorphous catalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction （HER）and oxygen evolution reaction （OER）. In terms of the modification of amorphous catalysts by component modulation，there were several important roles. Firstly，by introducing different elements for component regulation，the electronic structure of the amorphous catalyst could be optimized. The incorporation of metal elements with specific electronic configurations could adjust the electron cloud density distribution of the catalyst，thereby optimizing the adsorption energy of the reaction intermediates and improving the catalytic activity. At the same time，changes in the electronic structure could also affect the conductivity of the catalyst，promote the electron transfer process，and further improve the performance of water electrolysis. Secondly，component regulation could enhance the active sites of amorphous catalysts. The combination of different elements could form new chemical bonds and coordination environments，produce unique active sites，and enhance the catalytic effect on hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. In addition，reasonable component regulation could improve the stability of amorphous catalysts. Selecting elements with good chemical stability for doping could improve the corrosion resistance and dissolution resistance of the catalyst under harsh water electrolysis conditions. Moreover，component regulation could also optimize the structural stability of the catalyst，reduce structural changes and loss of active components during the reaction，and extend the service life of the catalyst. Next，the catalytic performance of different types of amorphous catalysts （including amorphous precious metal catalysts，amorphous transition metal catalysts，etc.）in the HER and OER in water electrolysis was briefly summarized. By analyzing the structures of different types of catalysts，their catalytic mechanisms in the electrolysis of water could be revealed，providing theoretical guidance for further design and improvement of amorphous catalysts. In general，although amorphous catalysts had unique advantages in catalytic performance，they still faced some challenges，which could be simply summarized as the problem of improving stability and the problem of precise regulation of active sites. Therefore，in response to these problems，we put forward the prospects for the future development of water electrolysis，mainly through structural engineering design，interface effect optimization，self-repair and dynamic regulation，multi-scale regulation strategies，research on the correlation between surface structure and catalytic activity，and research on synergistic effects and multifunctional sites. The aim was to provide a reference basis for further promoting the efficient application of amorphous catalysts in the field of water electrolysis and facilitating their wide application.

quote

GB/T 7714-2015 [1] Jing Zhao, Xiaojie Zhang, Shubao Wang, et al. Research Progress of Amorphous Catalysts in Field of Water Electrolysis[J]. Chinese Journal of Rare Metals, 2025, 49(6): 898-917. DOI:10.13373/j.cnki.cjrm.XY24120017.
MLA [1] Jing Zhao, et al., "Research Progress of Amorphous Catalysts in Field of Water Electrolysis." Chinese Journal of Rare Metals, vol. 49, no. 6, 2025, pp. 898-917, https://doi.org/10.13373/j.cnki.cjrm.XY24120017.
APA [1] Jing Zhao, Xiaojie Zhang, Shubao Wang, Zhiguo You, & Shanshan Yang. (2025). Research Progress of Amorphous Catalysts in Field of Water Electrolysis. Chinese Journal of Rare Metals, 49(6), 898-917. https://doi.org/10.13373/j.cnki.cjrm.XY24120017
IEEE [1] Jing Zhao, Xiaojie Zhang, Shubao Wang, Zhiguo You, and Shanshan Yang, "Research Progress of Amorphous Catalysts in Field of Water Electrolysis," Chinese Journal of Rare Metals, vol. 49, no. 6, pp. 898-917, 2025, doi: 10.13373/j.cnki.cjrm.XY24120017. keywords: {amorphous catalysts;component regulation;water electrolysis;classification of amorphous catalysts}