Composite non-noble system with bridging oxygen for catalyzing Tafel-type alkaline hydrogen evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Hydrogen fuel offers a sustainable energy solution, but green hydrogen production via alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is inefficient.
• Current state-of-the-art noble metal catalysts for alkaline HER are costly and energy-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and sustainable non-noble catalyst for alkaline HER.
• To elucidate the catalytic mechanism of a novel three-component system for hydrogen generation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a three-component catalyst using cobalt oxide clusters and single molybdenum atoms on oxyanion-terminated MXene.
• Electrochemical characterization of the catalyst's performance in alkaline electrolyte.
• Investigation of the reaction mechanism using theoretical and experimental approaches.

Main Results:

• The non-noble catalyst demonstrated efficient hydrogen generation via a kinetically fast Volmer-Tafel pathway in an alkaline electrolyte.
• A unique three-component structure with bridging oxygen facilitated H* adsorption, relay, and desorption.
• The catalyst's performance was comparable to commercial noble metal catalysts (PtRu/C).

Conclusions:

• The developed catalyst offers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for green hydrogen production.
• The bridging oxygen in the catalyst structure is crucial for the efficient HER mechanism.
• This work provides a new strategy for designing advanced non-noble electrocatalysts for HER.