Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber‐Based Multifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zinc‐Air Batteries and Overall Water Splitting: Fabrication, Progress, and Perspective

ABSTRACT The development of high‐performance and stable electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) plays a critical role in advancing clean energy technologies, including metal‐air batteries and hydrogen production through overall water splitting. Carbon nanofibers prepared by electrospinning have received extensive research attention due to their adjustable microstructures, diverse morphological characteristics, and flexible chemical compositions. In this review, the latest developments and future perspectives of electrospun carbon nanofiber‐based transition metal single atoms, metal alloy composites, transition metal compounds, and carbon‐based metal‐free catalysts for ORR, OER, and HER in zinc‐air batteries (ZABs) and proton/anion‐exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs/AEMWEs) are systematically summarized. Specifically, the possible catalytic mechanisms of these catalysts toward ORR, OER, and HER are elucidated initially; the rational design principles and synthetic strategies of electrospun carbon nanofiber‐based catalysts are systematically introduced; and the representative applications are discussed in detail. Finally, key challenges and perspectives regarding the future development of ORR, OER, and HER catalysts with excellent catalytic activity and stability toward ZABs and PEMWEs/AEMWEs are also summarized.