Microstructural engineering of two-dimensional clay-based materials for advanced electrochemical energy conversion

Two-dimensional clay-based materials have shown significant potential in key electrochemical processes, including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Two-dimensional clay-based materials possess intrinsic properties such as porous structures, tunable specific surface areas, excellent thermal and mechanical stability, abundant reserves, and cost-effectiveness. However, limited electrocatalytic activity of two-dimensional clay-based materials remains a major challenge. The issue is closely tied to microscopic structures, including spin states, orbital hybridization, energy band alignment, and lattice stability of two-dimensional clay-based materials. The review delves into the relationship between modified two-dimensional clay-based materials and catalytic performance, summarizing strategies such as defect engineering and heteroatom doping to enhance orbital overlap, thereby improving HER, OER, and ORR activities. Finally, this review discusses the development prospects of clay-based materials, emphasizing the critical role of combining advanced computational and experimental techniques in driving innovations in energy conversion materials.