Conjugated Base Assists Proton Stripping off Pt for Alkaline H₂ Electrooxidation

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• The alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is crucial for clean energy technologies.
• Sluggish HOR on platinum (Pt) surfaces is often caused by slow proton (H+) removal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a general strategy for enhancing interfacial proton transfer away from platinum surfaces during alkaline HOR.
• To improve the efficiency of platinum-based electrocatalysts for alkaline HOR.

Main Methods:

• Anchoring mild oxyacids onto carbon supports to create a proton-scavenging interface around platinum nanoparticles.
• Utilizing the protonation-deprotonation cycle of the anchored oxyacid (e.g., C-PO4^2-) to facilitate H+ removal.
• Testing the strategy on both home-made and commercial platinum/carbon (Pt/C) electrocatalysts.

Main Results:

• The anchored oxyacid effectively captures and transports protons away from the platinum surface.
• This strategy significantly enhances the rates of the alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction.
• The method proved effective for both newly synthesized and commercially available Pt/C catalysts.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing interfacial proton transfer is critical for efficient alkaline HOR.
• Anchoring mild oxyacids on carbon supports provides a straightforward and effective method to boost HOR performance.
• This approach offers a promising direction for designing advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen oxidation.