Two-dimensional ferroelectric metal for electrocatalysis

TL;DR

This paper explores 2D ferroelectric metals, demonstrating their potential as electrically-tunable electrocatalysts by engineering out-of-plane polarization through layer stacking, challenging traditional views on ferroelectricity and metallicity.

Contribution

It clarifies the concept of 2D ferroelectric metals and shows how they can be engineered to serve as high-quality, tunable electrocatalysts.

Findings

2D ferroelectric metals can be engineered via layer stacking.

They possess switchable polarization and metallic density of states.

They are effective as electrically-tunable electrocatalysts.

Abstract

The coexistence of metallicity and ferroelectricity has been an intriguing and controversial phenomenon as these two material properties are considered incompatible in bulk. We clarify the concept of ferroelectric metal by revisiting the original definitions for ferroelectric and metal. Two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics with out-of-plane polarization can be engineered via layer stacking to a genuine ferroelectric metal characterized by switchable polarization and non-zero density of states at the Fermi level. We demonstrate that 2D ferroelectric metals can serve as electrically-tunable, high-quality electrocatalysts.