PtCo clusters anchored on defect-rich heterometal nanosheets for electrochemical H₂ production

This study introduces a novel strategy for synthesizing high-performance H₂ evolution reaction (HER) catalysts by efficiently utilizing traces of precious metals. Specifically, defect-rich hierarchical heterometal composites- Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂@Ni₃Se₂@NF (NF) are employed as 'traps' to capture and stabilize PtCo clusters. This controlled approach enables the synthesis of a composite electrode denoted as PtCo/MoS₂/Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂@Ni₃Se₂@NF electrode (abbreviated as PtCo-CE). Although Pt only accounts for 2.6 % (atomic ratio) in the PtCo-CE, the catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 18 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 under optimized experimental conditions-approximately 51 % of the overpotential of commercial Pt/C (35 mV). Furthermore, in-situ characterizations and theoretical calculations were performed to elucidate the catalytic mechanism of PtCo-CE. This study highlights the feasibility of anchoring noble atoms onto heterometal chalcogenides, thereby presenting a promising strategy for the synthesis of high-performance noble metal cluster or single-atom catalysts.