Recent advances in pentlandites for electrochemical water splitting: A short review

At present, pentlandites have attracted the large attention of the researchers as robust and efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting. These materials can play an essential role in the construction and development of new and high-performance electrocatalytic materials. This is due to their micro-structure of hydrogenase-like active sites and adjustable molecular compositions, as well as their enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability. Therefore, this review summarizes recent developments in the experimental synthesis of pentlandites for electrochemical water splitting. Three essential pentlandite-based electrocatalysts (pentlandite intrinsic materials, ion-exchange pentlandite materials, and pentlandite-based composite materials) were investigated in depth. Finally, the issues and challenges faced at present are summarized, and the development scenarios of pentlandite-based electrocatalysts are discussed. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.