Emerging Amorphized Metastable Structures to Break Limitations of 2D Materials for More Promising Electrocatalysis

Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) materials, including both layered and nonlayered structures show promise as electrocatalysts. Their catalytic performance is limited by their natural electronic structure and 2D stacking. Regulating the 2D structure with exotic atoms can tailor the chemical affinity. Even in metastable phases, the surfaces of 2D materials are not sufficiently active for simple chemical modifications to enhance the catalytic activity and diversify catalytic reactions. Differentially, the emerging ultrathin 2D amorphized metastable material lacks a phase structure and exhibits high activity with rich dangling bond states. This material may offer solutions to the aforementioned challenges faced by traditional 2D materials. This report discusses the ultrathin 2D amorphized metastable material as an ideal platform to break limitations of traditional 2D materials in electrocatalysis and suggests how these materials can be developed for more promising electrocatalysis. The potential stabilizations, fabrications, and challenges of these materials are also discussed to provide guidance on areas of focus.