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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
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A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
Published on: August 17, 2016
Interfacial hydrogen spillover on Pt/C3N4 enables industrial-level alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction
Jian Cui1, Qian Zheng2, Yifeng Zeng1
1State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|March 3, 2026
Summary
Platinum nanoparticles on a carbon nitride support enhance the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction via hydrogen spillover. This novel catalyst achieves high current densities and exceptional stability, crucial for efficient water electrolysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- The alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is hindered by strong hydrogen binding and slow water dissociation kinetics.
- Hydrogen spillover is a promising strategy to overcome these limitations in HER catalysis.
- Developing efficient and stable electrocatalysts is critical for advancing water electrolysis technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize a novel catalyst utilizing the hydrogen spillover effect for improved alkaline HER.
- To investigate the mechanism of hydrogen spillover at the interface of platinum nanoparticles and a nonmetallic support.
- To evaluate the catalytic performance and long-term stability of the developed catalyst in both three-electrode and anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer systems.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of platinum nanoparticles supported on a nonmetallic carbon nitride (C3N4) material.
- Electrochemical characterization including polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and long-term stability tests.
- In situ Raman spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate reaction mechanisms and interfacial properties.
Main Results:
- The Pt/C3N4-500 catalyst demonstrated industrial-level current densities (500 and 1000 mA cm⁻²) at ultralow overpotentials (89.8 ± 1.5 mV and 137.7 ± 2.1 mV, respectively).
- Exceptional stability was achieved, maintaining operation at 500 mA cm⁻² for 300 hours with minimal potential variation.
- Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWE) using this catalyst as the cathode achieved 1 A cm⁻² at 1.73 ± 0.02 V and operated stably for over 150 hours.
Conclusions:
- The strong Pt-N coordination in Pt/C3N4-500 induces interfacial electron transfer and an electric field that drives efficient hydrogen spillover.
- The catalyst optimizes hydrogen desorption kinetics and facilitates H* intermediate transfer, leading to low Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption (ΔG_H*).
- This Pt/C3N4-500 catalyst represents a significant advancement for efficient and stable alkaline hydrogen evolution and water electrolysis.
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