The development of efficient energy storage and conversion technologies is a core element in ensuring a sustainable energy supply

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and stated research gap and stated challenges and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2024 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 301 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Structural engineering of atomic catalysts for electrocatalysis (2024) · Chemical Science · cited 132× · doi

  In the past decade, SACs have made great progress in the eld of electrocatalysis due to their unique geometry and electronic structures, which are expected to replace commercial precious metal-based catalysts. DACs with the interaction between metal dimers are also emerging and show excellent electrocatalytic activity, which can solve the limitation caused by SACs to a certain extent. To better suit multi-electron complex reactions, TACs have been developed, which provide more possibilities for the adsorption of intermediates, and are conducive to better study the relationship between the structure and electro- catalytic activity. In this review, we summarize the progress of SACs, DACs and TACs in electrocatalysis systematically. By using defect engineering and an atomic limiting strategy to design precursors, the number of central metal atoms and the coordination environment can be regulated for specic elec- trocatalytic reactions. Up to now, SACs and DACs designed by electronic regulation have made good progress in electro- catalysis. As a rising star, TACs are in the initial stage of development. In general, electrocatalysts with different nuclear numbers and uniform active sites have broad application prospects, but some problems still need to be solved. (i) Controlled synthesis is still one of the biggest obstacles for atomic catalysts. At present, most of the atomic catalysts are synthesized by pyrolysis at high temperatures. The randomness of the coordination environment of the obtained catalysts is relatively large, and metal migration and agglomeration will inevitably occur. In addition, for DACs and TACs, active sites may possess multiple structures. By encapsulating precursors 5106 | Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 5082–5112 © 2024 The Author(s). Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry Open Access Article. Published on 05 March 2024. Downloaded on 6/14/2026 7:24:58 AM. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.View Article OnlineReview

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: sacs metal catalysts dacs tacs progress atomic article made electrocatalysis electronic structures activity better reactions
• Geometric and Electronic Engineering of Hydrogen Peroxide Production Electrocatalysts (2026) · Nano-Micro Letters · doi

  The complexity of the composition and structure of the catalytically active site poses a significant challenge to understanding the relationship between the geometric/electronic structures and ORR activity/selectivity. There is a need for the development of efficient and selective electrocatalysts for H2O2 production.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: complexity composition structure catalytically active site poses significant
• Geometric and Electronic Engineering of Hydrogen Peroxide Production Electrocatalysts (2026) · Nano-Micro Letters · doi

  The complexity of the composition and structure of the catalytically active site. Many metals have more negative dissolution potential than oxygen reduction potential and will dissolve during the operating condition. The need for efficient and selective electrocatalysts for H2O2 production.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: complexity composition structure catalytically active site many metals
• Recent Advances in the Preparation and Application of Silicate-Based OER Catalysts: A Review (2026) · Catalysts · doi

  The development of efficient energy storage and conversion technologies is a core element in ensuring a sustainable energy supply. There is a need for efficient and stable electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant elements.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: development efficient energy storage conversion technologies core element
• Chemical Vapor Deposition of Pyridinic-Nitrogen-Dominated Graphene Model Electrocatalysts and in Situ Raman Spectroscopic Evidence on Their Active Sites for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (2024) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry C · cited 7× · doi

  Although pyridinic nitrogen-doped carbon has been proposed as a highly active site for the technologically important oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and metal air batteries, direct in situ spectroscopic evidence on the active center (nitrogen or carbon next to nitrogen) and ORR pathways remain lacking.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: nitrogen carbon active pyridinic doped proposed highly site technologically important oxygen reduction reaction fuel cells
• Porous N‐Doped Carbon‐encapsulated Iron as Novel Catalyst Architecture for the Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Benzaldehyde (2024) · ChemSusChem · cited 5× · doi

  Carbon porous materials containing nitrogen functionalities and encapsulated iron-based active sites have been suggested as electrocatalysts for energy conversion, however their applications to the hydrogenation of organic substrates via electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) remain unexplored.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: hydrogenation carbon porous materials containing nitrogen functionalities encapsulated iron based active sites electrocatalysts energy conversion
• Electrocatalytic Upgrading of Plastic and Biomass‐Derived Polyols to Formamide under Ambient Conditions (2024) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · cited 78× · doi

  Abstract Electrocatalytic upgrading of wasted plastic and renewable biomass represents a sustainable method to produce chemicals but is limited to carbohydrates, leaving other value‐added chemicals, such as organonitrogen compounds, being scarcely explored.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: chemicals abstract electrocatalytic upgrading wasted plastic renewable biomass represents sustainable produce limited carbohydrates leaving value
• Inter‐Site Distance Effect in Electrocatalysis (2025) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · cited 79× · doi

  These insights aim to inform the design of highly efficient catalysts, enhance the understanding of catalytic mechanisms, and contribute to the development of more efficient energy conversion technologies, providing a foundation for further research into optimizing electrocatalysts.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: efficient insights inform design highly catalysts enhance understanding catalytic mechanisms contribute development energy conversion technologies

Questions about this gap