Can Re cluster complexes be an efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction? Insights from experiments and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing cost-effective catalysts for water splitting is crucial for sustainable hydrogen production.
• Platinoid catalysts are effective but economically prohibitive for widespread use.
• Alternative non-platinoid catalysts are needed for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the catalytic properties of hexanuclear rhenium cluster complexes for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To assess the economic viability and efficiency of these rhenium complexes as alternatives to platinoids.
• To explore the potential of rhenium clusters in electrochemical water splitting for hydrogen production.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a paste composite electrode incorporating hexanuclear rhenium cluster complexes.
• Electrochemical characterization of the electrode to determine catalytic performance for HER.
• Analysis of reaction kinetics using Tafel slope measurements.
• Computational modeling using density functional theory (DFT) to support experimental findings.

Main Results:

• The rhenium cluster composite electrode achieved a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at a low overpotential of 90 mV (RHE).
• {Re₆Se₈}-based complexes exhibited favorable HER kinetics with a Tafel slope of 102 mV dec^-1.
• DFT calculations corroborated the experimental results, supporting the catalytic activity of the rhenium clusters.

Conclusions:

• Hexanuclear rhenium cluster complexes show significant promise as effective and economical catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
• These findings open a new avenue for the practical implementation of hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting.
• Rhenium cluster compounds represent a viable alternative to platinoids in catalysis for renewable energy applications.