Designing and Regulating Catalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution in Acid Electrolyte

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer has been regarded as a promising and versatile approach for practical H2 production. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) possesses sluggish kinetics and a high reaction barrier, severely hindering the development of PEM water electrolyzers. Consequently, highly efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts are always essential to accelerate the reaction rate and lower the reaction barrier of OER. In this review paper, a detailed discussion towards fundamentally comprehending the reaction mechanisms of OER in acid media was conducted. Accordingly, we proposed the principles of designing advanced OER electrocatalysts for enhanced performance and lowered cost. After that, recent developments in designing various acidic OER electrocatalysts were summarized. Meanwhile, the available regulation strategies were presented, which can be used for tuning the electronic structures, boosting the electrocatalytic performances and reducing the costs of electrocatalysts. We also provided the existing challenges and perspectives of various OER electrocatalyst.