Mixed-oxide-containing composite-supported MoPt with ultralow Pt content for accelerating hydrogen evolution...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for advancing clean energy technologies.
• Reducing the reliance on precious metals like platinum in HER catalysts is an ongoing challenge.
• Composite materials offer unique structural and electronic properties for enhanced catalytic performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel molybdenum-platinum (MoPt) composite catalyst with ultralow platinum content for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To evaluate the electrocatalytic activity, mass activity, and stability of the synthesized MoPt/Ti_0.9Ir_0.1O₂-C catalyst for HER.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of MoPt/Ti_0.9Ir_0.1O₂-C composite via a self-growth-assisted reduction route.
• Electrochemical characterization including overpotential measurements at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2.
• Assessment of HER mass activity at a 300 mV overpotential and evaluation of catalytic stability over 10 hours.

Main Results:

• The MoPt/Ti_0.9Ir_0.1O₂-C catalyst, with only 2.81 wt% Pt, exhibited excellent HER performance.
• An extremely low overpotential of 21.35 mV was required to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm^-2.
• The catalyst demonstrated a high HER mass activity of 849.36 mA mg_Metal^-1 at 300 mV overpotential.
• Superior catalytic stability and chemical durability were observed after 10 hours of testing.

Conclusions:

• The developed MoPt/Ti_0.9Ir_0.1O₂-C composite is a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
• Ultralow platinum content catalysts can achieve competitive performance, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional platinum-based catalysts.
• The unique structural features of the composite contribute to its enhanced electrocatalytic properties.