Developing homogeneous first row early transition metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains an important fixture in biological and synthetic systems for energy conversion and chemical functionalization. Late transition metals continue to dominate in the development of new catalyst systems, inspired by well-characterized metallocofactors and prior successes. By comparison, metals to the left of Fe on the periodic table are relatively understudied for the ORR. This Frontier article summarizes advancements related to the use of Mn, Cr, and V in homogeneous catalyst systems for the ORR and discusses the implications of these results for the development of catalyst systems from these metals and those earlier in the transition metal series.