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Updated: Oct 1, 2025
06:32
A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
Published on: August 17, 2016
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Interstitial boron-triggered electron-deficient Os aerogels for enhanced pH-universal hydrogen evolution
Yinghao Li1, Chun-Kuo Peng2, Huimin Hu3
1School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore.
Nature Communications
|March 4, 2022
Summary
Boron-modulated osmium aerogels act as highly effective electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). These catalysts demonstrate excellent performance and stability across all pH levels, outperforming commercial platinum/carbon alternatives.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Developing efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is essential for sustainable hydrogen production.
- Current challenges include achieving high performance and stability across various pH conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel pH-universal electrocatalyst for HER.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships of boron-modulated osmium aerogels.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of boron-modulated osmium (B-Os) aerogels with controlled defects and morphology.
- Electrochemical characterization in acidic, alkaline, and neutral electrolytes.
- Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) for in-situ electronic structure analysis.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate catalytic mechanisms.
Main Results:
- B-Os aerogels exhibit low overpotentials (12 mV in acid, 19 mV in neutral, 33 mV in alkaline at 10 mA cm⁻²).
- The catalyst demonstrates superior stability compared to commercial Pt/C.
- Operando XAS reveals B atoms stabilize Os active sites in an electron-deficient state.
- DFT calculations confirm B atom introduction optimizes electronic structure and lowers energy barriers for HER.
Conclusions:
- Boron modulation effectively enhances the HER performance of osmium aerogels.
- The B-Os aerogels represent a promising pH-universal electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen production.
- Understanding the electronic effects of B atoms provides insights for designing advanced electrocatalysts.
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