Asymmetric diatomic electrocatalysts: design, synthesis and applications

In the context of sustainable energy transition, utilizing clean electricity to catalytically convert small molecules such as CO₂, O₂, and H₂O into fuels and value-added chemicals is a critical energy conversion process. As a higher-level development of single-atom catalysts, asymmetric dual-atom catalysts (ADCs) exhibit bimetallic active sites under asymmetric coordination environments, making them a promising material for sustainable electrocatalysis. The asymmetric charge distribution within ADCs generates a local built-in electric field that enhances charge separation/transfer, effectively promoting multi-step cooperative catalytic processes. The inherent structural complexity of the catalyst improves electrocatalytic performance by regulating the adsorption orientation and electronic configuration of intermediates. In the construction of ADCs, establishing precise structure-performance relationships and elucidating the potential reaction mechanisms are of utmost importance.

This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in ADCs, particularly distinguishing different structural subclasses and linking structural types with asymmetric catalytic mechanisms. It discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the high-throughput screening, performance prediction, and elucidation of catalytic mechanisms of ADCs. The review also highlights the intrinsic logical advancements in characterization techniques and the applications of ADCs in key electrocatalytic reactions, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR).

Corresponding Authors' Biographies:

Gao Yan is a associate professor at Bengbu University. Gao completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Huaibei Normal University and obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Beijing Institute of Technology. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Beihang University. Research interests include precise construction of nanomaterials and single-atom catalysts, and their applications in energy catalysis. Gao has led key and major projects funded by the Anhui Provincial Department of Education, as well as major quality engineering projects. She has published more than 15 SCI papers as the first or corresponding author in prominent journals such as Nano Research, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Chemical Communications, Small, Nanoscale, Atmospheric Environment, and Spectrochimica Acta A.

Shang Huishan is a researcher at the College of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University. Shang received her Ph.D. from Beijing Institute of Technology in June 2020, where she was awarded the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation of Beijing Institute of Technology in the same year. She joined Zhengzhou University in October 2020 and focuses on the controlled synthesis of new catalysts (such as single-atom, dual-atom, and high-entropy materials) and their electrochemical applications. Shang has led several vertical scientific research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation's Young Scientist Fund and the Excellent Young Scientist Fund of Henan Province. She has published over 30 papers as the first or corresponding author in journals such as Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Functional Materials, Nano Letters, and Chemical Science, with eight highly cited papers. She also serves as a Young Editorial Board Member for Carbon Energy and Nano-Micro Letters.

Liu Xiangwen is a researcher at the Institute of Analysis and Testing, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee. Liu was selected as an overseas high-level talent in Beijing and a national-level youth talent under the talent program. Liu obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Shandong University and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. in 2013 from the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University and then conducted postdoctoral research at Tsinghua University, Boston College (USA), and the National University of Singapore. Liu’s research focuses on the synthesis of multi-metallic single-atom/nanocatalysts and their industrial catalytic applications. His works have been published in prestigious journals, such as PNAS (2), Nature Communications, Chem, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Advanced Materials (4), Nano Research (4), and Advanced Science. His total citation count exceeds 4000, with some of his individual papers being cited over 1300 times. He is a Youth Editorial Board Member for Nano Research and has received the Second Prize of the Analytical Testing Science Award from the Chinese Association for Analytical Chemistry and the Second Prize of the Beijing Natural Science Award.

DOI Link:

https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94908391

About Nano Research

Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.