Opportunities and challenges of strain engineering for advanced electrocatalyst design

Electrocatalysis is becoming more and more important in energy conversion and storage due to rising energy demands, increasing carbon dioxide emissions, and impending climate change. The design and synthesis of high-performance electrocatalysts are the spotlights of electrocatalysis. Among many design methodologies reported, strain engineering has gained growing attention because it can change the atomic arrangement and lattice structure of electrocatalysts. However, strain engineering remains to be problematic in regulating the properties of electrocatalysts. This review discusses the strain effect tactics to regulate metal and non-metal electrocatalysts, including three sections focusing on strain categorization, strain regulation mechanism, and applications in electrocatalysis, respectively. Finally, the current challenges and an outlook of strain engineering are discussed.