A Supramolecular Aminocatalyst to Promote Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis with Palladium

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Electrocatalysis
• Biomimetic Catalysis

Background:

• Nature utilizes proton motive mechanisms and transporter proteins for efficient catalysis.
• Electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for clean energy technologies.
• Developing efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts for HER remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel supramolecular catalytic strategy for HER electrocatalysis.
• To investigate the role of cyclodextrins in facilitating proton and hydrogen transport.
• To design biomimetic catalysts inspired by natural systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized amino β-cyclodextrin (NH2-β-CD) as a supramolecular aminocatalyst.
• Combined the catalyst with palladium for electrochemical hydrogen evolution.
• Investigated the role of the cyclodextrin cavity in the catalytic process.

Main Results:

• Achieved a low overpotential of 25 mV for HER.
• Obtained a high Faradaic efficiency exceeding 95%.
• Demonstrated the crucial role of the cyclodextrin cavity in forming transport channels for protons and hydrogen gas.

Conclusions:

• A supramolecular catalytic strategy based on cyclodextrins enables efficient HER electrocatalysis.
• The cyclodextrin cavity acts as a transport channel, mimicking natural proton transport.
• This work opens new avenues for designing interfacial molecular catalysts for HER.