Hydrogen Stabilized RhPdH 2D Bimetallene Nanosheets for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Designing catalysts for efficient and stable alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a significant challenge.
• Unstable combinations of metal elements often limit catalyst performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly active and stable catalyst for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To explore a novel synthesis mechanism for bimetallene catalysts using confined heteroatoms.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of two-dimensional bimetallene hydrides using formaldehyde as a hydrogen source.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand hydrogen confinement and alloy stability.
• Electrochemical testing to evaluate catalytic activity and stability.

Main Results:

• A novel RhPd bimetallene hydride catalyst was synthesized, stabilized by confined hydrogen atoms.
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent alkaline HER performance with a low overpotential (40 mV at 10 mA cm⁻²).
• Exceptional stability was observed for over 10 hours at 100 mA cm⁻².

Conclusions:

• Confined hydrogen atoms significantly enhance catalytic activity for HER.
• Ultrathin, sheet-like morphology contributes to the catalyst's remarkable stability.
• This work provides a new strategy for designing high-performance catalysts by incorporating heteroatoms into bimetallene structures.