A review on chalcogenides nanomaterials for electrocatalysis: Insights into structural and compositional development

Hydrogen represents an essential clean energy vector for industrial applications and daily life, with electrocatalytic water splitting providing environmentally eco-friendly route for large–scale hydrogen and oxygen generation. Metal chalcogenides have attracted significant attention as earth–abundant and cost–effective alternatives to noble metals, due to their favorable electronic configurations and advantageous surface architectures. However, major obstacles in practical advancement of these materials, including improved electrocatalytic performance and enhanced long–term durability under operational conditions. This review comprehensively discusses the fundamental mechanisms involved in electrocatalytic water splitting, outlines key physicochemical characterization approaches, and explores a range of methodologies to optimize catalytic efficiency. Special emphasis is placed on the remarkable catalytic behavior of specific materials, such as NiFeMn alloys, CoS₂/MXene, and Ru–Ni nanoalloys, which demonstrate notably low overpotentials alongside considerable operational stability. Identified challenges include issues related to process scalability, sustained stability under elevated potential, and ensuring economic competitiveness relative to conventional noble metal systems (e.g. Pt, Ir, Ru). The review proposes research initiatives necessary to facilitate the translation of laboratory advances to industrial–scale implementations. Overall, this work highlights the promise of chalcogenide nanomaterials as key enablers for sustainable energy technologies through the development of high–performance electrocatalytic platforms.