Mo₂C Ceramic Electrode Embedded with PtMo₃ Nanograins for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction at High Current Density

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Platinum (Pt) is a preferred catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but its scarcity and high cost limit industrial use.
• Developing cost-effective and efficient alternatives to pure platinum catalysts is crucial for large-scale hydrogen production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel PtMo₃@Mo₂C catalytic electrode with significantly reduced platinum loading.
• To evaluate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic performance and stability of the designed electrode in both acidic and alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a porous Mo₂C ceramic membrane with finger-like holes.
• Uniform embedding of PtMo₃ nanograins onto Mo₂C grains via electrodeposition and thermal reduction.
• Electrochemical characterization of HER performance and long-term stability testing at ultrahigh current densities.

Main Results:

• Achieved an ultra-low Pt loading of 7.8 × 10^-4 g m^-2.
• Demonstrated excellent HER performance with overpotentials of 189 mV (2.0 A cm^-2 in acidic) and 212 mV (1.0 A cm^-2 in alkaline).
• Exhibited remarkable stability, operating continuously for over 152 hours under ultrahigh current densities.

Conclusions:

• The PtMo₃@Mo₂C electrode offers a highly efficient and stable alternative for HER catalysis, overcoming the limitations of pure platinum.
• Theoretical calculations suggest that the optimized electronic structure at the Mo₂C(100)/PtMo₃(200) interface enhances catalytic activity.
• This development paves the way for the cost-effective industrial application of advanced catalysts in hydrogen production.