Monodispersed Pt Sites Supported on NiFe-LDH from Synchronous Anchoring and Reduction for High Efficiency Overall...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Developing efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts is crucial for sustainable energy solutions.
• Nickel-iron layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are promising but require further optimization for enhanced performance.
• Precise anchoring of noble metal sites is key to improving catalytic activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel platinum-anchored nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets (Pt@LDH) using a targeted-anchoring and spontaneous-redox strategy.
• To investigate the role of metal-organic framework (MOF)/LDH heterostructures in stabilizing platinum sites and facilitating redox reactions.
• To evaluate the electrochemical water splitting performance of the synthesized Pt@LDH electrocatalysts in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• A targeted-anchoring and spontaneous-redox strategy was employed to synthesize Pt@LDH.
• Intermediate MOF/LDH heterostructures were utilized to confine and stabilize monodispersed platinum (Pt) sites.
• Electrochemical techniques were used to assess the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance.

Main Results:

• The optimized Pt@LDH, with only 5% ultra-low Pt content, demonstrated significantly enhanced electrochemical water splitting.
• Achieved low overpotentials of 58 mV for HER and 239 mV for OER at 10 mA cm⁻².
• The Pt@LDH catalyst drove overall water splitting at a low cell voltage of 1.49 V at 10 mA cm⁻², outperforming many reported LDH-based catalysts.

Conclusions:

• The developed synthesis strategy effectively creates stable, monodispersed Pt sites on LDH nanosheets, leading to superior electrocatalytic activity.
• This method offers a versatile platform for designing ultrathin LDH-supported monodispersed noble metal electrocatalysts for renewable energy applications.
• The findings pave the way for low-cost, high-performance electrocatalysts essential for sustainable energy technologies.