Single Carbon Vacancy Traps Atomic Platinum for Hydrogen Evolution Catalysis.
Qin Yang1,2, Hanxuan Liu3, Pei Yuan1
1College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China.
Researchers created a unique atomic platinum configuration (Pt-C3) within defective graphene, significantly boosting hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. This breakthrough offers a promising alternative to conventional platinum catalysts for HER applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Atomic platinum (Pt) is recognized for its high intrinsic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
- Optimizing the coordination environment of Pt is crucial for enhancing catalytic performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel Pt-C3 configuration in a defective carbon matrix.
- To evaluate the HER activity of the Pt-C3 configuration in both acidic and alkaline media.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanism for the enhanced HER performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of single vacancies in a carbon matrix (defective graphene).
- Trapping of atomic Pt within the vacancies to form the Pt-C3 configuration.
- Electrochemical evaluation of HER activity, including turnover frequency (TOF) and mass activity measurements.
Main Results:
- The Pt-C3 configuration exhibited exceptionally high reactivity for HER in both acidic and alkaline solutions.
- Intrinsic activity (TOF) and mass activity were approximately 18 times higher than commercial 20 wt % Pt/C.
- The Pt-C3 site demonstrated enhanced electron-capture ability and a lower Gibbs free energy difference (ΔG).
Conclusions:
- The optimized Pt-C3 coordination in a defective carbon matrix provides superior HER performance.
- The enhanced activity is attributed to improved H+ reduction and accelerated H2 desorption.
- This study offers new insights into designing highly active and dispersed atomic Pt catalysts for HER.
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