Electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production is a crucial technology in achieving carbon neutrality. The development of efficient and stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts is a core challenge in this field. This review systematically summarizes the latest research advancements in nanoporous transition metal-based catalysts, covering metal alloys and compounds. Through strategies such as compositional optimization, crystal structure modulation, interface engineering, and nanoporous structure design, these non-precious metal catalysts exhibit outstanding performance comparable to commercial platinum-carbon catalysts across a wide pH range. This paper thoroughly discusses the catalytic mechanisms of different material systems, including electronic structure regulation, active site exposure, and mass transport optimization. Finally, the challenges faced in current research are summarized, and future directions are projected, including scalable fabrication processes and performance validation in real electrolysis cell environments. This review provides significant insights into designing next-generation efficient and stable non-precious metal electrocatalysts.
Li et al. (2025) studied this question.