From lab to market: Economic viability of modern hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts

Abstract

This comprehensive review examines the current landscape of hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts, focusing on the critical balance between performance and cost for large-scale hydrogen production. The study analyzes a wide range of materials, from expensive noble metals to more economical transition metal compounds, providing detailed cost estimates based on initial components. While noble metals demonstrate benchmark performance with low overpotentials, their high costs limit widespread application. The review highlights significant advancements in developing cost-effective alternatives, such as transition metal oxides, sulfides, phosphides, and nitrides, which offer comparable catalytic activity at a fraction of the cost. The analysis reveals promising trends in material design and synthesis strategies that could lead to catalysts combining high activity, long-term stability, and low cost, crucial for the widespread implementation of hydrogen. This review serves as a valuable resource for guiding future research efforts towards developing affordable and efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts for industrial applications.