Two-Dimensional New Phase Zirconium Dioxide Supported Platinum Interface for Acidic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Platinum (Pt) is a benchmark catalyst for acidic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) but is limited by high cost and kinetics.
• Effective support materials are crucial for optimizing Pt nanoparticle (Pt NP) performance in electrocatalysis.
• Interface engineering of catalysts is a promising strategy to overcome limitations of precious metal catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel two-dimensional trigonal metastable phase zirconium dioxide (Tri-ZrO2) as an advanced support for Pt NPs.
• To investigate the electronic structure modulation of Pt NPs by the Tri-ZrO2 support.
• To evaluate the performance of Pt/Tri-ZrO2 catalysts for acidic HER.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of two-dimensional trigonal metastable phase zirconium dioxide (Tri-ZrO2).
• Anchoring of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) onto the Tri-ZrO2 support.
• Electrochemical evaluation of Pt/Tri-ZrO2 for acidic HER, including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements.
• Theoretical calculations (e.g., DFT) and experimental techniques to analyze electronic structure and intermediate binding.

Main Results:

• Tri-ZrO2 support induces significant charge enrichment in Pt NPs (Pt/Tri-ZrO2).
• Pt/Tri-ZrO2 exhibits excellent HER performance with a low overpotential (9 mV at -10 mA cm-2) and Tafel slope (18.7 mV dec-1).
• The Tri-ZrO2 support downshifts the d-band center of Pt, weakening hydrogen intermediate binding and accelerating H2 production.

Conclusions:

• The novel Tri-ZrO2 support effectively enhances the electrocatalytic activity of Pt NPs for acidic HER.
• Interface engineering via unconventional oxide supports offers a viable strategy for advanced electrocatalyst design.
• This work advances the electronic engineering of Pt-based materials for efficient hydrogen production.