A current challenge in green hydrogen production is enhancing the efficiency of the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), where the kinetics are notably hampered by the sluggish dissociation of water (H2O). Statistical insights reveal that over 95% of current hydrogen production processes are rooted in fossil fuels, underscoring the critical need to develop efficient electrocatalytic processes that utilize renewable energy sources. An innovative approach to addressing this issue involves manipulating the micro-environment at the interface of catalysts to improve water molecule orientation and reaction kinetics. The potential application of lattice strain to influence water orientation at the interface of a…
