Energy and environment are basic issues in modern society that are necessities for the economic and social sustainable development of the world. Over the last decade, substantial research focusing on an uninterrupted supply of renewable and clean energy has become a key issue due to alarming environmental threats and the rapid depletion of fossil fuels. In order to find potential substitutes, hydrogen is considered the most promising alternative to fossil fuels because of its advantages of zero carbon emissions, high gravimetric energy density (140 MJ·Kg^-1), and high efficiency.

Electrocatalytic water splitting is regarded as a propitious approach for hydrogen production that consists of two half-reactions: the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Two half-cell reactions of water splitting, i.e., HER and OER require a large amount of energy to initiate and high individual overpotential to overcome sluggish multi-electron transfer kinetics, which leads to energy waste. Nevertheless, the H ₂and O₂ evolution reactions (HER, OER) hold the key to the future H₂ economy by controlling the efficiency of the generation of H₂ from water and the reverse direction to harvest clean energy. Production of so-called green H₂ by water electrolysis powered by renewable energy provides a sustainable and safe future energy source.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles, on the following, but not limited to, themes:
• Review papers on HER/OER
• The different synthesis methods of the materials with high catalytic activity for HER/OER
• On advanced materials for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction
• For hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in different electrolytes

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Frontiers in Chemistry

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