Dopant triggered atomic configuration activates water splitting to hydrogen.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts is crucial for achieving a net-zero carbon emission society.
• Catalyst design relies on understanding the structure-property relationship to achieve desired catalytic activity.
• Single-atom doping offers a pathway to fine-tune catalyst properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a general strategy for synthesizing single-atom-doped CoSe2-DETA nanobelts.
• To investigate the correlation between the Co atomic configuration and HER activity.
• To identify highly active HER catalysts for potential applications in clean energy.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of 10 different single-atom-doped CoSe2-DETA nanobelts.
• Systematic analysis of the synthesized catalysts.
• Electrochemical evaluation of HER activity in acidic electrolyte.

Main Results:

• A volcano-shape correlation was established between HER activity and the ratio of Co-N to Co-Se bonds.
• The Pb-CoSe2-DETA catalyst achieved a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at 74 mV.
• Optimized Co atomic configuration induced by single-atom doping significantly enhances catalytic performance.

Conclusions:

• Single-atom doping is an effective strategy to optimize the Co atomic configuration in CoSe2-DETA nanobelts.
• The developed catalysts demonstrate high efficiency for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
• These findings contribute to the advancement of catalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.