Applications of Rare Earth Promoted Transition Metal Sulfides in Electrocatalysis

With the rapid consumption of fossil fuels and the resulting environmental problems, researchers are working to find sustainable alternative energy and energy storage and conversion methods. Transition metal sulfur compounds have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent electrical conductivity, low cost, adjustable components and good electrocatalytic performance. As an alternative to noble metal catalysts, they have emerged as a promising electrocatalyst. However, their low catalytic activity and poor stability limit their large-scale practical applications. Rare earth elements, known as industrial vitamins, are widely used in various fields due to their special redox properties, oxygen affinity and electronic structure. Therefore, the construction of rare earth promoted transition metal sulfides is of far-reaching significance for the development of catalysts. Here, we review the applications of various rare earth promoted transition metal sulfides in energy storage and conversion in recent years, which focuses on three ways in rare earth promoted transition metal sulfide, including doping, interfacial modification engineering and structural facilitation. As well, these materials are used in electrochemical reactions such as OER, HER, ORR, CO2RR, and so on, in order to explore the important role of rare earth in the field of electrocatalysis, the future challenges and opportunities.