Interfacial electron transfer triggered reversible hydrogen spillover effect boosts high-efficient hydrogen evolution
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
Published on: March 10, 2023
Yukun Chang1, Guangshun Ran1, Xing Cheng2
1State Key Laboratory of Materials Low-Carbon Recycling, College of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, 100124, Beijing, PR China.
Abstract:
The mechanistic role of interfacial electron transfer in enabling reversible hydrogen spillover for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics remains fundamentally unexplored. Herein, we report a lattice-matched PtCoNiCuZn/ WCxN1-x heterostructure electrode, where interfacial electron transfer triggers reversible hydrogen spillover, thereby achieving exceptional HER performance. Advanced characterization reveals coherent and semicoherent interfaces that induce charge redistribution, creating electron-deficient Pt sites with optimally downshifted d-band centers. The electrode exhibits a remarkable mass activity of 4.63 A mgPt-1, which is 22 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C, and demonstrates exceptional stability for over 300 h at 10 mA cm-2, attributed to strong metal-support interactions (SMSI). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm a reversible hydrogen spillover mechanism driven by a built-in electric field at the heterojunction. This electric field facilitates *H migration from WCN to the alloy, alleviating hydrogen accumulation on the support and enhancing metal-site desorption, thus accelerating HER kinetics. This study provides critical insights into the role of interfacial electron transfer in hydrogen spillover and establishes a rational design strategy for highly active and stable self-supported electrodes in sustainable hydrogen production.
Related Concept Videos
Interfacial Electrochemical Methods: Overview
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Catalysis
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview
Hydrogen Bonds

