A Review of Transition Metal Oxygen-Evolving Catalysts Decorated by Cerium-Based Materials: Current Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

Non-noble metal catalysts are suitable for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) owing to their original oxidation states and oxygen coordination environments, which can regulate the adsorption of OH- at the active sites to facilitate the formation of oxygencontaining intermediates. However, the difficulties encountered in the conversion of intermediates (M-OH, M-O, and M-OOH) lead to low efficiency. Decorations of transition metal catalysts with foreign elements are regarded effective solutions, among which decoration with Ce-based materials (CeBM) is the most prominent. This review investigates the current status and future prospects of CeBM-decorated transition metal electrocatalysts. By presenting a thorough account of the latest development, we aim to set a common ground for the research community for a deeper understanding of the roles of CeBM that originate from its unique electronic structure and abundant oxygen vacancies. Moreover, we wish to provide our own perspectives as to how to further the design of Ce-based OER electrocatalysts and where such catalysts may be applied in fields beyond electrocatalysis.