Accelerating the Hydrogen Evolution Kinetics with a Pulsed Laser-Synthesized Platinum Nanocluster-Decorated...

Efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline seawater environments are essential for sustainable hydrogen production. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is synthesized through pulsed laser ablation in liquid, followed by pyrolysis, producing N-doped porous carbon (NC). NC matrix serves as a self-template, enabling Pt nanocluster decoration (NC-Pt) via pulsed laser irradiation in liquid. NC-Pt exhibits a large surface area, porous structure, high conductivity, N-rich carbon, abundant active sites, low Pt content, and a strong NC-Pt interaction. These properties enhance efficient mass transport during the HER. Remarkably, the optimized NC-Pt-4 catalyst achieves low HER overpotentials of 52, 57, and 53 mV to attain 10 mA cm^-2 in alkaline, alkaline seawater, and simulated seawater, surpassing commercial Pt/C catalysts. In a two-electrode system with NC-Pt-4(-)ǀǀIrO₂(+) as cathode and anode, it demonstrates excellent direct seawater electrolysis performance, with a low cell voltage of 1.63 mV to attain 10 mA cm^-2 and remarkable stability. This study presents a rapid and efficient method for fabricating cost-effective and highly effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen production in alkaline and alkaline seawater environments.