Nanoporous Gold‐Based Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion

Abstract

Herein, the promising world of nanoporous gold (NPG) as an electrode material for energy storage and conversion is reviewed. NPG has excellent conductivity and a porous structure, providing a huge active surface area for deposition of transition metal atoms and electrochemically active materials. Moreover, NPG materials display high intrinsic activity because of their crystallographic structural defects to catalyze hosts of electrochemical reactions, considered pertinent in clean energy technologies. Therefore, taking into account their superior specific and mass activity, they provide a versatile platform for developing high‐performance catalysts for oxidation and reduction reactions, supercapacitors, and battery‐type electrode materials for the assembly of high density electric energy storage devices. Initially, a full overview of the strategies used to build NPG structures and incorporate other metallic elements in the pore walls is presented. Afterward, the water‐splitting parameters and performance of NPG catalysts for hydrogen generation are reviewed. Next, the possibility of using such porous materials as fuel cell electrodes is discussed. In short, the most recent advancements in the field paving the way for the preparation of advanced electrode materials meeting the most stringent requirements are reviewed, demonstrating the bright perspectives for innovation in the key area of energy conversion and storage.

Recent progress in water-splitting and supercapacitor electrode materials based on MOF-derived sulfides

“…Its mechanism can be divided into two steps, where the first elemental step always is the Volmer semi-reaction or, in other words, the reduction of a proton by an electron generating a hydrogen atom (H*) adsorbed on the electrode material surface (M), and the second elementary step can be either the Tafel or the Heyrovsky semi-reactions, or both simultaneously. 46 The complete reaction mechanism in acidic and alkaline media are shown in Fig. 2C and D, respectively.…”

“…Accordingly, the development of an electrocatalyst with an appropriate adsorption strength can decrease the activation energy and maximize the reaction kinetics. 46 As for the oxygen evolution reaction, despite the thermodynamic potentials shown in Fig. 2B, a much larger potential is always required in the actual electrolysis of water due to its complex multielectronic and multiprotonic mechanism (Fig.…”

Recent progress in ZnCo2O4and its composites for energy storage and conversion: a review

“…On the other hand, the capacitance of pseudocapacitors is attributed to the fast and reversible redox process of materials, such as some transition metal oxides/hydroxides and conducting polymers. Hence, pseudocapacitors can release higher specific capacitance but present lower power density 2 , due to the low conductivity of pseudocapacitive materials. In this way, one strategy to increase the performance of electrodes is the preparation of nanocomposites containing carbon structures 36 .…”

Stable CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals—Decorated Nanoporous Gold for Optoelectronic Applications

“…Being made of interconnected nano-sized ligaments and pores, NP metals are commonly obtained by dealloying a precursor alloy [16] and they present the common properties of bulk metals associated with enhancements related to their high surface area, low density, and plasmonic and catalytic activities. NP metals find possible applications in various technological areas [16], such as catalysis [20], sensing [21], surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) [22], metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) [23], actuators [24], and energy storage and conversion [25]. Nanoporous gold (hereafter, NP Au) represents the most studied and promising material thanks to its low reactivity and its efficient fabrication from Au-Ag precursor alloys.…”