Charge Polarization from Atomic Metals on Adjacent Graphitic Layers for Enhancing the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Atomic metal species-based catalysts (AMCs) are crucial for various catalytic reactions.
• The coordination configuration of metal atoms dictates electronic structure and catalytic activity.
• The synergistic effects between adjacent layers in multilayered AMCs are often overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the catalytic activity of a novel atomic Co and Pt co-trapped carbon catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To explore the influence of interlayer synergistic effects on catalyst performance.
• To provide a new perspective on the origin of intrinsic activity in AMCs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of an atomic Co and Pt co-trapped carbon catalyst.
• Electrochemical testing of the catalyst for HER in acidic and alkaline media.
• Theoretical analysis to understand the electronic structure and activity origins.

Main Results:

• The catalyst exhibits ultrahigh HER activity (η10 = 27 mV in acidic, 50 mV in alkaline media) with ultralow metal loadings (1.72 wt% Co, 0.16 wt% Pt).
• Performance significantly surpasses commercial Pt/C.
• Theoretical analysis indicates that inner-layer atomic metals modulate the electronic structure of outer layers, enhancing HER activity.

Conclusions:

• The developed catalyst offers superior HER performance compared to commercial benchmarks.
• Interlayer synergistic effects play a critical role in tuning the catalytic activity of AMCs.
• This work suggests a new design strategy for highly efficient AMCs by considering interlayer interactions.