Magnetic field-assisted hydrogen evolution reaction: Mechanisms, field engineering, and catalyst design

The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for green hydrogen production, yet conventional approaches are hindered by noble metal dependency, mass transport limitations, and inefficient intermediate modulation. Magnetic field assistance offers a non-invasive strategy to address these challenges by enabling multidimensional control over HER processes. This review systematically consolidates recent advances and attempts to establish qualitative correlations among magnetic field parameters, microscopic mechanisms, and catalysts’ magnetic properties. We detail how static magnetic fields enhance reaction kinetics via magnetohydrodynamic effects and spin polarization, whereas alternating magnetic fields facilitate dynamic energy injection through magnetothermal and magnetoelectric coupling mechanisms. Furthermore, catalyst design strategies for both non-ferromagnetic and ferromagnetic systems are analyzed, highlighting the dual role of magnetic fields as both reaction regulators and structure-directing agents in the synthesis of excellent HER catalysts. The review concludes with forward-looking perspectives on the translation from the laboratory to the industrial scale, providing a foundational framework for next-generation magnetic field-enhanced HER systems.