Designing stable electrocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion

Abstract

The long-term stability of electrocatalyst nanoparticles remains a critical challenge for electrochemical energy conversion systems and storage technology such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), water electrolyzers, CO₂ reduction systems, and metal–air batteries. This review focuses on the durability aspects of electrocatalysts by systematically connecting their degradation mechanisms, including Ostwald ripening, particle migration, dissolution, and support corrosion, to advanced stabilization strategies. The evaluation of structural, compositional, and operational parameters that control the catalyst lifetime is critically considered using information obtained from operando spectroscopy, in situ microscopy, and electrochemical diagnostics. In a comparative context, the recent developments in alloying, core shell structures, new support materials and surface changes (e.g. atomic layer deposition and self-assembled monolayers) are proposed with their strengths and weaknesses. New data-driven methods, especially machine-learning-aided catalyst stability prediction, are also discussed as potential solutions to rational catalyst design. Such a unified view offers viable instructions on how to come up with long-lasting, high efficiency and economical electrocatalysts for use in sustainable energy systems.